Silently Suffering
by The Cat Ladies
Summary: What happens when a raging epidemic hits the soul society, including Wanda? What will Ian do to help? R
1. Chapter 1

WPOV

The sun blazed through the thick glass of the van onto my porcelain skin. The intense heat was slowly declining as the day was ending. The cool wind was softly weaving through my hair making the strands flail about my face. I instinctively raised my hand to brush the loose strands out of my eyes, but warm calloused fingers beat me to it. They tucked them softly behind my ear. It was obvious who it was; only one person could stimulate the feeling of flowing lava churning inside me. Ian. My Ian. His warm smile lit up his face and I could feel my lips lift up on the corners. My cheeks heated automatically as I caught myself staring. I turned my head and looked out the window and watched the sunset beyond me. Laughter filled my ears, my head turned to the back seat where Jamie was sitting and laughing at my expense. I peeked over the seat and gave Jamie my "evil eye" look, but that only gave him a reason to laugh harder. This face wasn't made to send disapproving looks. I sighed and turned back to the window, trying to hide my now tomato red face. As I predicted, Ian's hand reached over and cupped my chin. His hand nearly engulfed it. He turned my head in his direction.

"Don't be embarrassed Wanda. If I wasn't driving, I would be looking at you too." Ian whispered "Besides, I love it when you blush." When the van began to swerve, Ian let go and steadied the wheel, smiling sheepishly. Jamie's' soft chortling filled the car. I glanced at the rear view mirror to see him roll his eyes. In the corner of my eye I caught sight of the old jeep following behind. I felt a smile slowly forming on my petite face as I saw the two familiar faces sitting at the front. Melanie's face glowed in the soft haze of the setting sun. Jared's face was half in the shadows. The contrast seemed to give him a glowering look. He was probably tense considering Melanie was in the car. He was always worried that she would get captured and suffer again. He preferred to have her ride with him. He felt that he could protect her. He was a lot like Ian that way. My heart still tugged every time I heard his laugh or whenever I saw him smile his crinkly eyed smile. My feelings for him had subsided in a way, although I despise knowing that I do have some feelings for him. I hate Melanies' and Ians' knowing looks every time they caught me staring at him. Melanie understood fully as she also caught herself giving Ian confused stares. Ian claimed that he also fully understood although the pain that flashed through his deep blue eyes told me otherwise. I no longer needed Jared, and I didn't want him either. Ian was mine, and I would always be his. With any luck my feelings for Jared would no longer be there. I only felt them for I had lived in a body that passed them onto me. Now having full control over what I felt, maybe having Ian would help me ease from the past. Hopefully.

The sky was now painted with dark red just above the horizon. Billions of glowing stars illuminated the sky. I don't think I'll ever stop staring and gaping at their beauty. Earth was truly the most beautiful planet I've resided upon, its also the most challenging but I feel if you have people who truly love you, it could be worth it. The breaks squealed as we came to a stop.

"Finally!" Jamie breathed, "Seriously, sometimes I think you two are worse than Melanie and Jared," he added. Ian raised his eyebrow and gave him a look.

"You're right they're so much worse," he said truthfully. I giggled and hopped out of the vehicle. Though the dirt I landed on wasn't near the caves, the hard baked soil seemed somewhat welcoming. After a long raid, I had missed the security of the caves. That feeling was a huge clue to that I no longer belonged with the other souls. I finally belonged somewhere. I took a deep breath of the thick desert air. I walked over to the truck where Brandt was opening the door.

"Are you sure he'll let you do some heavy lifting?" he asked with a knowing tone. I knew he was talking about Ian; his over protective trait enabled me to do most of the chores and jobs that required muscle.

"I'm pretty sure that a few boxes of cereal in bulk wont cause a fuss, Brandt." Brandt let out a low chuckle.

"I suppose your right. But if he does get angry, lets just say it was Andy that let you lift it." Andy peeped his head out of the cab window and called out "I would prefer if you didn't. That Ian is one protective guy. I wouldn't wanna be the one to get him all riled up." I just rolled my eyes and took the box.

"Wanda" A familiar voice called out in a warning voice.

"It's a few boxes of cereal Ian, I'm sure I can handle it" I breathed. He huffed and picked up several boxes that were stacked in the truck. Melanie and Jared came out of the jeep and came to help unload. As I entered the caves I greeted some of the others I passed by. Lily was ahead of me and I hurried my pace to catch up to her. She heard my footsteps behind her and she smiled as she saw who it was.

"Hey Wanda, how did it go?" she asked with interest.

"It went quite well. Once again, I was not suspected, though my lying skills have not improved." I responded.

"Oh, well that's good to hear. I guess I could go help unload. Is there very much?" She asked.

"More than usual, we got more than enough this time. It should last quite a while." I wheezed. The box I was currently carrying somehow managed to gain weight the longer I held it. Was I really that weak? As much as I appreciated this body, I wished I could be stronger and be more useful when it came to doing heavy-duty chores. I sighed quietly to myself. Lily turned and jogged back to help the others. I dropped the box to the ground since no one else was nearby. I bent over and placed my hands on my knees.

"Tired already hey Wanda?" I looked up to see Jeb with a toothy grin. Blood pooled in my cheeks from embarrassment. He let out a loud chuckle.

" No worries but I'm thinkin' you should stick with dishes and laundry" he teased.

"Good to see you too Jeb" I said sarcastically. He gave me another grin and nodded his head before walking towards the others.

"Wanda? Are you okay? Is something wrong?" I heard Ian say as he dropped the items he was carrying. The sound of his footsteps increased in tempo as he ran over to check on me.

"I'm perfectly fine, Ian. I just am making allowances for my weak physique." I replied to his question.

"Hey, your body's still growing you'll be strong eventually" he encouraged.

"Not with the jobs I'm doing and you know it" I scoffed.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," he breathed in my ear. I blushed once again and picked up the box. I headed towards the kitchen with Ian following cautiously behind me, watching for any sign of me being tired again. I set the box on the high concrete counter and began unloading the several boxes. Trudy snuck up behind me and began to help.

"Well would you look at this," she said, clearly astounded "I haven't seen Frosted Flakes in forever." She turned and smiled at me.

She took the several boxes of cereal and put them in the corner of the kitchen, probably for tomorrow morning. Ian took some of the boxes and started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" I asked him. He stopped at once and looked back.

"I'm putting these into storage, did you want to come?" He asked a teasing tone was hinted in his voice.

"Actually I think I'll stay here and help Trudy," I stated. He chuckled and continued on his way.


	2. Chapter 2

WPOV

The day finally came to an end and the echoes of the coyotes rang through the caves. At dinner time I took my usual seat with Ian. Jamie joined us, Melanie and Jared trudged their way in soon after. I looked around and smiled at all the comfortable smiling faces that were smiling back.

" Ah, I haven't had roast beef in such a long time" Jamie gushed.

" Jamie, drooling is really not attractive to watch" Melanie scolded. The room filled with soft chuckles. Jamie smiled back sheepishly and continued on shovelling the food into his mouth. Ian took my hand and I felt my shoulders relax immediately. At the corner I caught sight of Magnolia and Sharon and it was a rare moment in which the frowns on their faces were absent. It could have been that my absence for the past few weeks softened their moods as well as the delicious food being served, or it might be the possibility that they finally were able to stand me. I'm thinking it was my lengthy absence. Ian let my hand go when the slabs of meat he received got larger and larger until the point where both hands were needed. I watched silently as the others attempted to eat slowly, but the forks couldn't seem to enter their mouths fast enough after a few short minutes. After everyone was finished their meals a series of goodnights were said throughout the room. I looked around the room and a furrowed my eyebrows. Ian smoothed my forehead with his thumb and a worried look crept upon his face.

"What's wrong? " he asked.

" Sunny and Kyle aren't here," I stated. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

" I heard they were with Doc, he says Sunny has a minor virus" he explained.

" Oh, we should go see her " I said with concern in my voice. He sighed, and another strange look came on his face.

" Wanda, I don't want you to catch anything" He muttered as he ran a hand through his hair. I rolled my eyes and tugged on his hand.

I picked up my pace in anxiety.

I held Ian's hand as we made our way down the dark tubes to the hospital wing. Every now and then, the moonlight would peer through holes in the roof and paint the walls with grey dots. I could see the faint blue glow of the lamps as we rounded the final corner. Ian abruptly gripped my hand tighter and pulled me to a stop.

"Wanda, I think we should just go to our room. You wouldn't want to wake her up if she's asleep." Ian gave me a pleading expression.

I ignored him, pulling my hand free from his, which was difficult considering it was fully enveloped in his. I pouted and he gave me a defeated look. He then lead me into the dark lit room, he made sure he was in front of me failing in the attempt to shield me from air borne germs. I saw Doc dozing behind his desk and Candy looking at the labels of the cylinder containers of the medicines. She realized we had entered the room and turned around immediately. I gave her a small smile; she had been a great addition to our group helping as best as she can with any sickness that passed in the caves or any injuries. At the corner I saw the petite framed Sunny lying on the cot. Her complexion seemed a little bit flushed and there was no colour on her cheeks, beside her sleeping state was Kyle, watching over her with hawk like alertness. It was touching how he wished to protect her. I manoeuvred out from behind Ian and took a seat facing Sunny, opposite to Kyle. He nodded his head slightly in my direction, his eyes never wavering. I glanced up at Candy with questioning eyes. She clearly understood what I was silently asking. She shrugged and continued to fasten the open containers. The cot I sat on shook as Ian took a seat beside me, slinging his arm over my shoulders. The quietness in the room was piercing. All that was heard was Sunnys' even breathing.

"How is she doing?" I asked softly.

"Doc and Candy here said it's only a minor virus, that it'll pass" he shrugged, his eyes never leaving Sunny's peaceful face. Ian gripped onto his brother's shoulder.

"I'm sure she'll get better soon, with the medicine we have" Ian whispered. I wondered, soul medicine was supposed to work in mere minutes, she was supposed to be fine by now.

" How long has she been asleep? " I questioned. Kyle looked up and the bags under his eyes went unnoticed.

" I'm not sure, she's been like this since I took her in this afternoon." He responded in a whisper.

Sunny suddenly gasped as she awoke from her sleep. She had a panicked look in her eyes as she scoped the room. When they met mine, I couldn't help but notice how dull they were. I immediately went to Doc's desk and grabbed his penlight. Kyle was softly brushing Sunny's cheek, which was now almost translucent. I pushed the button to turn the light on. I reached over Sunny and held up her head. She had an unnaturally high fever. My eyebrows immediately furrowed once again. I shone the light in her eyes, surprisingly the light didn't reflect back like the way it normally would. Candy saw my anxious look and hurried over to us. She gave me a curious look and I heard Kyle's breathing starting to fall out of its rhythm. I turned my head to Ian who held the same look as Candy and Kyle.

"Ian shine the light in my eyes" I ordered. He nodded and took the penlight from my slightly clammy hands. With shaking hands, Ian wretched the light from my hand and help it up to my eyes. Even I could see as their shine reflected and bounced off the walls. I could see Ian's stance relax as he flicked the light off.

"Why do you think her eyes are no longer reflective?" Candy asked anxiously as she examined Sunny herself. Sunny's breath now came in ruff and ragged intakes as she panicked. Kyle quietly soothed her and she was immediately unperturbed under his touch.

"I think we need to make another visit to the nearest town." I responded after a long awkward silence.

"What? We just got back Wanda. I'm not letting you go out again. It gets me worried every time!" Ian roared. Kyle snorted and laughed at his brothers over reaction. Ian's eyes darkened and he was about to lunge for Kyle when I pressed my hand to his chest to stop him. He looked down at me with pure worry in his eyes. He snaked his arms around my head and brought me into a hug, placing his head in the crook of my neck. Kyle smirked and I gave him a warning glance, he looked back to Sunny and sighed. Candy went to get a container with the label cool, and took out the thin blue strip and placed it in Sunnys mouth. Her feverish skin was instantly cooled, but she remained sickly looking.

"We should go," Ian alleged, "We can get up early and check on her tomorrow." He gracefully lifted me off the cot and set me on my feet. I softly brushed Sunnys face with worry in my eyes. What was wrong with her?


	3. Chapter 3

That night I slept with both the feelings of uneasiness and comfort. Sunnys well being filled my mind with worry but the comfort of the caves relaxed my body. Ian's right arm slung over my waist and pulled me closer to his body. In the glow of the silver moon I could see the perfect outline of his face. His face contorted into a deep frown. He could probably tense my worry.

"Don't worry love, I'm sure she'll be fine soon," He said as if reading my mind. He placed a tender kiss on my head. I smiled lightly at him.

" But think about it Ian, why didn't the medicines work. The souls have examined the human body so that pretty much anything that could harm it would be fixed," I stated.

"Maybe they didn't examine it thoroughly" He shrugged. I felt too exhausted to start a debate so I nodded my head in agreement.

"Goodnight my Wanderer" he tightened his hold on me as he whispered in my ear. I saw his eyes droop immediately.

I didn't have to wait long until his arms unfolded from around me. It was to be expected, but I suddenly felt incomplete without being surrounded by his warmth. I snuggled closer until I was comfortable again. My mind raced as I considered many aspects of Sunny's illness. Was it contagious? Was it just an unknown virus she caught from the sullied water? Could Ian be right? Impossible, souls make sure they understand the full analogy of the bodies we would occupy. Whatever it was I hoped she would be better soon.

I woke up happily as I smelt the musty cave air, and realized I was not sleeping with tense in the territory of the Souls. I felt Ian move beside me.

"Morning beautiful," Ian gave me a breath taking smile. That was definitely one of the things he did that I would never get tired of. I involuntarily blushed crimson. "How did you sleep?" He questioned.

"Better. I am always happy where you are." I responded.

"Ah, just what I like to hear, my Wanderer" Ian softly grazed my flaming cheek and stared into my silver grey eyes. I heard the rustling of the doors moving, I looked over to see Jamie entering the room with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.

"Morning guys" He said cheerily. Ian sighed at got off the mattress.

"Morning kid' he greeted as he ruffled his hair, he changed his shirt and stretched his arms. I got up and he was at my side immediately. I smiled up at him and we followed Jamie towards the kitchen.

When I entered the kitchen, almost every member of the caves was sitting hunched over their newly found breakfasts'. Instant oatmeal, Frosted Flakes, and several fruits were being demolished before my eyes. I felt overjoyed that I could help cave life be more enjoyable with delicacies that were unreachable before. Ian squeezed my hand in his as he towed me to an empty spot near the stove. Lucina was behind the counter stirring the oatmeal and ensuring that everyone had something to eat. She saw us enter and gave us a warm smile. She was much more understanding and kind and saw her as one of the many maternal figures among the caves.

"Good Morning Wanda, Ian" She greeted, as she was spooning oatmeal into several bowls. She handed us our trays and we talked about the raid and the time in the caves in our absence. Isaiah and Freedom were nearby Lucina, crouched on the ground playing with the toy cars we took during one of our raids. They saw me and hurried to my side. Isaiah grabbed hold of my hand while his other hand was running the car by Ian's feet. Ian smiled down at him and then gave me a loving gaze. Freedom was struggling to climb onto my lap. Ian chuckled at the sight and helped him up. I continued eating while Freedom played with the ends of my hair. I finished eating and waited until Ian finished his seconds. After he was finished I placed a kiss on Freedoms head and sat him down with his brother. A thought came to my mind.

"Has Kyle or Sunny eaten yet?" I inquired

"No. I haven't seen them all morning. Unless Doc brought them something back, I don't think Kyle has even been in the kitchen since Sunny became ill." Lucina countered.

"Ian, I think we should go check on Sunny. You promised we could see her this morning." I gave Ian a pleading look.

"Fine, but if I get in trouble with Jeb, it's your entire fault" he said in a teasing yet defeated tone. I smiled and grabbed two trays. Ian took one from me and we walked our way through the weaving halls towards the hospital wings. This time Doc was up and Candy was sleeping peacefully in one of the uncomfortable cots. Sunny was in the same state as Candy and Kyle was watching her as if she was a precious diamond. Doc and Kyle looked up in our presence.

"We thought you guys would need some food," Ian announced. Kyle nodded in thanks as Ian handed him the tray of food. I placed Docs tray on his makeshift desk and went to his side.

"How is she Doc?" I asked.

"It seems as if her fever has inclined, the cool doesn't help either, I've tried and tried but her temperature keeps rising," He said grimly. I paced towards Sunny and placed my palm on her forehead. It was sweaty and felt about 100 degrees warmer than it should have been. I recoiled from the steady burn and checked her skin colour. Her face was severely flushed but the rest of her visible skin was a sickly pale and bluish colour.

" I think we need to see a Healer," I suggested. Ian and Doc gave me incredulous looks.

"Well her condition is just getting worse and I don't think neither Doc or Candy has a clue as to what it may be" I stated.

" Wanda, raids need plans, since the rumour of humans in the desert they've gotten harder, stronger weapons and the groups of Seekers are bigger" He retorted. Kyle was extremely silent for someone who usually spoke his mind. My heart clenched because of his worry for her.

"We need to talk to Jeb, meanwhile Doc maybe use some traditional human methods in attempt to cool down her fever" I suggested.

"And Kyle please eat" I pleaded. Kyle glared at the tray as if it was the reasoning for Sunny's illness then turned his attention back to her. I could plainly see that he was refusing to eat until she got better. Kyle was more caring than I had ever remembered him being. Of course I had never been his favourite, but this sight truly reflected who he really was. Ian patted his brothers back and reached for an apple from the tray. When Kyle pushed his hand away, Ian sighed heavily and returned to my side. I could see why Ian had not wanted to come here. Seeing his brothers' condition pained him. Their bond was bone deep. I bid goodbye to both Kyle and Doc and walked out in search for Jeb. I followed me right away and intertwined his fingers in mine.

"East Field?" I questioned.

"Probably" He confirmed. Instead of turning into the hall that would lead me to the Field I headed towards the kitchen. Ian quirked his eyebrow in curiosity.

"They'll be thirsty," I explained. He chuckled and tagged along by my side. He assisted me in getting the hard to reach water bottles from the high shelf. Ian handed me some of the bottles and we headed to the bathing area. We retrieved the water from the cool pool. Of course Ian insisted on carrying the bottles I had foe me. The tunnels were now being lit from the rising sun. I could see bubbled holes embedded into them. When we reached the Eastern Field, I felt the hot scorch from the mirrors. It still bounced such heat even in the early morning. The field was filled with people glistening in sweat. Some noticed the water bottles and rushed over to us right away. They thanked us and after the small conversations Jeb ordered us back to work.

"Mornin' Ian, Wanda" Jeb greeted with a nod. "Always the thoughtful one" he added with a chuckle, referring to the water bottles.

"Jeb we need to talk" I insisted.


	4. Chapter 4

Jeb gave me a questioning look, and then gave Ian the same. After seeing that we were both serious, he dug his shovel into the ground and casually leaned against it, preparing himself for a long conversation.

"So what seems to be the issue now?" Jeb asked.

"Sunny is extremely ill and we need to have a Healer examine her. Perhaps we don't have the necessary medicines or knowledge to help her, and she seems to be getting worse by the hour." I concluded. Jeb's thick eyebrows furrowed deep into his eyes as he thought about my request.

"So you are thinkin' that they may have the answer to her condition?" Jeb answered after a long moment.

"We can only hope. If we continue to hope for the best here, she could end up having a fatal illness. We couldn't risk it." I pleaded.

"Hmm, I suppose this could be arranged, but it will have to be carefully planned out ya know. Since the Seekers have been on constant alert, we have to be more aware than usual," Jeb countered. "I will talk to Jared about it. He's the best at this sot of thing. I'll let you know the plan when we have it figured out. This could take some time, so how 'bout you two make yourselves useful and get work done. No need to delay crops anymore." Jeb assured. I wrapped my arms around him and gave him the biggest hug I could manage.

"Thanks so much Jeb. I cant thank you enough." I squealed. I heard Ian laugh at my excitement. Jeb patted my back awkwardly.

"No problem kid. Now get to work. Days' a wastin'." He took the shovel and put it back in the storage area.

"I think the dishes from breakfast haven't been cleaned yet," Ian suggested.

"You just don't want me to help out in the fields" I accused. I gave him a knowing smirk and a shock look came onto his face.

"What? No, let's go." He objected and wrapped his arm around my waist and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I looked down to my feet immediately as I felt the blood rushing to my face. We walked to the kitchen side by side.

"Hey Trudy, are there any dishes that need to be done" I asked. She smiled and pointed to the bin of dishes in the corner. Ian let go of my waist and picked the bin up before I could. I narrowed my eyes and followed him to the bathing room. As we got closer the sound of the gushing river became more coherent. As we entered, the hot steam greeted my face. There were giggles and splashes coming from the dark bathing room. As Ian and I waited our turn, he stroked my hair continuously. When Paige and Andy emerged from the darkness, Andy nodded in our direction while Paige exuberantly waved. I couldn't help but smile at her endless energy. We carefully made our way to the pool, looking out for the hole on the ground. Ian held on to the bin with one hand while the other was holding mine making sure I was safe. We emptied the bin and started cleaning each dish. As I was on my third dish I felt light-headed and my mind was filled with black and white spots. I dropped the soapy dish to my side while I pressed my temples. The fuzziness of my thoughts were almost unbearable. I could hear Ian's urgent calls, but they sounded distant to my unclear hearing. My wet hand held my head while the other was holding my side. The ground abruptly vanished from underneath me while I was lifted from it. The motion of being lifted did it. I succumbed to the darkness.

"Wanda? Wanda, can you hear me? Wanda, love, can you open your eyes?" I heard a frantic voice saying these words as I resurfaced to consciousness. I had no doubt who it was.

"Ian, just give her time. She'll wake up when she's ready. God, you have to relax. It's not like she's dead or anything." Again, I knew this voice, Melanie.

" Ian, this was the same symptoms that Sunny had Doc whispered. I opened my eyes into slits to get used to the light.

"No, no, no, no, no, no" Ian chanted while running his fingers through his hair and then grabbing hold of my hands. Jamie and Melanie were at my side with confused and worried faces. I turned my head to see Sunny lying on the cot talking in whispers to Kyle. Kyle's face broke my heart, so pained and broken. I couldn't imagine Ian's face in that way, it hurt too much. Ian took a damp cloth from Candy and placed it tenderly on my forehead.

"How are you feeling?" Melanie asked. My headache felt as if it had subsided but I knew there was something wrong, I could feel it in my veins.

"Much better" I smiled. I tried to get up but Ian pushed my shoulders down onto the cot softly.

"You need to rest some more" He said with an authoritive voice, he cupped my face and stroked my cheek with his thumb. I gave him an encouraging smile trying to reassure him that I was fine. The sound of footsteps filled the room. Jeb and Jared soon entered. Jared went to Melanie's side immediately and Jeb looked down at me with pure worry.

"I'll be fine, I promise you," I said reassuringly but it did nothing to soften their faces.

"How will we take Sunny to the Healers without Wanda" Jared asked Jeb.

"Well." Jeb started "I think that if Wanda is coming down with the same case as Sunny, we should bring them both. It's a simple solution. In most cases, friends can give each other viruses. We can make up a story about how within one day, these two got sick. Sound like a plan?" Jeb concluded. Jared seemed to be thinking over the newly aroused plan, and nodded his head in agreement. This plan settled me, as I knew I could help Sunny still. That and Kyle could end his lengthy fast.

"So we drive to the back of the hospital and most likely there will be healers there, Wanda would be strong enough to help Sunny walk and from there they'll get help from the healers." He suggested.

"Sounds good to me" Jeb agreed.

"Wait a second" Ian voiced " Wanda shouldn't go in by herself in her condition"

" And Sunny, she's too weak" Kyle whispered, all heads turned to his direction, and then Sunny. They knew he was right.

" No, I'm sure I can do it, she needs to go" I said confidently.

" But what about you" Ian muttered.

"I'm still feeling strong enough. I think that I'll be able to get as far as the door. Please Ian. I can do this. I have to." I gave Ian a positive smile, or at least I tried, he seemed wary about the idea, but a voice in the background gave him no choice.

"Ian, please man, do it for me, I can't loose Sunny." Kyle's emotional voice cracked as he pleaded. Ian glanced at his brother and sighed deeply.

" All right, but we won't leave until you get in and we will stay until they figure out what was wrong with you" he compromised. All heads in the room nodded but he didn't notice. He looked straight into my eyes, and I nodded softly. I pressed my palm against his cheek and he turned his head to kiss it.

"I'm feeling tired Ian, can we go back to our room. I might be able to sleep better there." I asked.

"Anything for you love." Ian whispered. Ian gently lifted me from the hard cot and carried me down the dark halls. It was clearly evening now. When we reached the red and grey doors, Ian pushed the red one out of the way and it landed with a clash onto the floor. He laid me on the mattress then re-adjusted the door. I curled into a ball, and Ian soon curled around me. I felt safe surrounded by his arms. He turned my head and gave me a soft kiss on my lips. I instantly felt like I was on fire, and it wasn't because of my arising fever. Only Ian could now have that effect on me.


	5. Chapter 5

WPOV

That night my sleep was filled with horrible dreams, souls running and screaming which I found worrying, we've always lived in peaceful societies with no havoc. I woke up with a sweat-covered brow and my breathing was fast and ragged. Ian must've heard me. He pulled me against his body.

" What's wrong love?" He asked with concern filled eyes. He placed his chin on top of my head and I snuggled into his chest trying to make the pictures in my mind disappear.

"Just a dream" I mumbled. He kissed my head softly and gave a small grunt; I looked up at him to see his brows furrowed with discomfort.

"Your fever's back" He mumbled as he was getting up. I watched him move around the small room. He opened the door and just as he was about to leave he caught my confused face.

"I'm going to get you damp cloths, I'll be right back" He explained, I nodded softly. As he shut the door behind him, I turned my head to look out the holey ceiling. The full moon shone brightly as it illuminated the room. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and held it up to the light. It could see the sweat glisten. I didn't feel warm, just uncomfortable. I may have had a fever, I felt cold as ice. This was my first experience with a cold sweat. The feeling was very unpleasant. I could hear Ian's soft footsteps approaching the door. I always felt strange without him there. He completed me. Ian opened the door with a dripping rag in his hand. I could see his midnight blue eyes glisten as I gave him a warming smile. I loved the fact that Ian and I felt the same way about each other. It made our connection so much stronger. Ian knelt down beside the mattress and placed the damp cloth on my head. I couldn't feel the coldness of the water that it absorbed. Ian brushed my hair away from my face. Strands clung to my cheek unpleasantly due to my clammy face.

"Better?" He asked. It did help the discomfort but I still felt sick. I nodded to assure him. He narrowed his eyes at me, suspecting that I was making it sound better than it is, which I was. I smiled and laid down, he followed my movements and wrapped his arms around me.

"Don't worry Wanda, both you and Sunny will be fine in no time" He yawned and tightened his hold on me. I smiled at his optimism and snuggled into his neck, breathing in his rich scent.

My ears perked at the sound of soft murmurs in the room. Ian was awake and someone else was in the room.

"Its strange, there's no one out there, they must have just given up the fact that there are no humans here" The deep voice spoke. It was Jared.

"But why would they leave so sudden?" A familiar voice said, Melanie. As I opened my eyes the morning light blinded me instantly. Ian noticed, and knelt down beside me right away.

"Wanda, How are you?" Melanie asked. Ian scooped me up into his arms and looked down at me with deep love, he kissed my lips softly. I couldn't help but grin.

"Much better, thank you" I replied. Melanie scoffed.

" Are you ready for today? We'll be leaving shortly, Brandt and Andy are almost finished packing the van" Jared announced, his hazel eyes sparkling in the sun. He wrapped his arms around Melanie and placed his head on her shoulder. I nodded and my stomach rumbled at the same time. Melanie chuckled and Jared let out a hearty laugh, it was a rare laugh he only did so after Melanie and I were separated. I was happy for his happiness.

" Let's get you something to eat" Ian said with a smile. I gave out a small giggle and he kissed my cheeks gently. He carried me down the hall to the kitchen area. As we entered the room, the smell of freshly baked rolls arose to my nostrils and made me involuntarily gag. I didn't think I was going to be able to eat, as hungry as I was. Jamie and Lily were just cleaning their dishes as we entered. Jamie immediately dropped his soapy cup and ran to me.

"Wanda! Wanda, what's wrong? Mel and Jared wont tell me. Are you sick like Sunny is?" He questioned with the look of fright strong in his glazed eyes. It hurt so much to worry him like this.

"Yes Jamie, I'm sick, but don't worry, we are going to go on a raid to get what we need. Please, don't be anxious." I pleaded. Jamie only nodded and gave me a big hug, the biggest he could manage while I was completely surrounded by Ian's arms. I gave him a reassuring smile before he seemed convinced. That morning Jamie was restless, always asking me if I was ok, if I needed anything, refilling my water. I smiled at him and reassured him that I was able to it myself but he wouldn't have any of it. Ian kept a tight hold on me so he probably wouldn't have let me go get my own food or fill my own water myself. Andy and Brandt entered the kitchen with pride looks on their strong faces.

"Your all set, the vans ready to go" Brandt announced while Andy made his way to Paige. Jamie took my tray into the dirty bin.

Melanie and Jared came in and bid their goodbyes to the others while they wished us luck. Melanie engulfed Jamie in a hug. Jamie wore a scowl on his face.

"Why can't I go?" He whined. Jared chuckled and ruffled his hair.  
"You went last time kid, besides, were not planning on going for long" Jared explained although Jamie's scowl never disappeared. Ian picked me up swiftly as Jamie trudged over to us. I kissed his head while Ian patted his back.

"Be good" I called as I was leaving, I heard him mumble incoherently. Just as we were exiting the cave Kyle came out of one of the hallways with a frail looking Sunny in his arms. I felt my face contort into a frown. They climbed into the van and he carefully laid Sunny out onto a mat on the vans floor. I sat down beside her while Kyle pressed a cold, damp cloth onto her forehead. Ian sat beside me, taking hold on my hand. The front doors closed with a slam as Melanie and Jared climbed in. The uneven desert ground made the van bounce and the tires splayed dirt behind up. I leaned against Ian during the rough ride. He laughed every time we hit a bump, for I was launched into the air. Ian was the one who was able to tether me to the surface. When we hit the pavement, the uneasy feeling of being caught alarmed us all. The highway was deserted though. That element relieved us all. Kyle protectively shielded Sunny from any windows. Just to make sure that the scorch of the sun would not be near her. She was warm enough already.

The motion of the van did not help me feel any more stable. It increased the feeling of nausea. I took deep, slow breaths to try to get rid of the sick feeling. Ian stroked my hair gently and whispered in my ear,

"Its ok Wanda, we're almost there. You wont feel sick much longer." He tried to convince. Ian's voice seemed to be less sure than usual. We rode in silence until the nearest city became visible.

Unfortunately, I had to drive, just in case any Seekers stopped us. Strangely, there were every few cars out on the usual busy road. I heard Kyle whisper in Sunny's ear,

" Don't worry, Sunshine, we are almost there. See, the healing facility is just up the street." He soothed. Sunny opened her eyes a fraction then gave screamed.

"Sunny! Sunny, baby, what's wrong?" Kyle franticly asked.

"Kyle! I can't see!" Sunny cried as loudly as she could muster. From the rear view mirror, I could see all faces turned to her face, and Kyle had a face contorted with emotional shock.

"No Sunny! No!" He cried.


	6. Chapter 6

WPOV

Kyle's breathing fastened as he stroked Sunny's cheek, reassuring her that everything will get better in a matter of days.

" They can fix it, can't they Wanda?" He asked desperately. His face was completely flushed with pain and frustration. I didn't know the answer to this question and I couldn't assume, it would have been like lying.

"We have medicines to cure all sorts of things, I'm sure they'd have something to cure this illness" I gulped. Ian immediately sensed my unease and pulled me closer to his body.  
"I'm sure they do," He mumbled into my hair. I glanced over at Jared and Mel. Mel was looking out the window worry and anguish etched onto her glowing face while Jared looked as though he was in total concentration.

"What are you thinking?" I voiced clearly. All heads perked up as I kept my gaze on Jared.

"Something's wrong, can't you feel it.?" He stated, no one replied, all that was heard was the faint whistling of the wind and Sunny's ragged breathing.

"Sunny, how do you feel?" Melanie asked, breaking the silence. I glanced at Sunny, who was lying on the thin mat, her hair matted to her face and on her neck. She gripped onto Kyle's forearm, the outlines of her small fingers forming a white mark on his skin. She blinked multiple times, slowly. My heart broke seeing her distressed; I couldn't even imagine the feeling of loosing your sight. All eyes were on her. I reached toward her and pressed the still damp cloth onto her forehead and wiped the hair off her face. Would I end up the same? Can I _really_ fix this?

"Jared, what's the plan?" I asked

"Well, um, we are gunna have to do our best convincing the healers that this was recent." Jared answered, "if you really did live in the soul society, you would have brought her in at the first notice of any difference in hr health." he concluded. I nodded slightly, for my unease was coming back. Speaking with other souls other than Sunny seemed to frighten me more since I was completely incapable of lying in this body. Ian began to rumple my hair as we pulled into the parking lot for the facility. When we lurched to a stop, I was taken off guard when Ian slid the door open to hop out.

"Ian, what are you doing?" I questioned. He knew better than to be out in the day. Ian sighed and answered,

"Wanda, do you really think you could carry her, love? Ian's eyes burned into mine, and I knew I wasn't going to argue with him. We both knew I was weaker, weaker than usual due to my illness, but it caused me great pain to have Ian out with me. It was a danger to him. If he were caught, he would surely be gone. This very thought brought a sharp, assaulting pain to my heart. I sighed defeated.

"Right, Ian keep your head down and when you get to the doors I let her go and Wanda could take her the rest of the way" Jared instructed, Ian followed along and nodded, but I knew from his face he wasn't going to follow it . Jared then turned to me.

" We're hoping it won't be long but we'll be at the back, near the loading area so once your done look for us there" He directed. I saw flaws in the plan but Sunny's health was dwindling by the second and we were losing precious time. I gave Melanie a hug and made my way towards the Healing Facility's doors. Ian shortly followed with Sunny in his arms. There were souls walking along the sidewalk but not too many, I was hoping no one would acknowledge us. As I looked back I saw the van moving away, I made out Kyle's figure in the back, shoulders down looking defeated.

"Why didn't Kyle carry her?" I whispered to Ian.

" He couldn't have given her away to them, he's afraid of losing her to them, he wouldn't have been able to do it." He stated. I understood that, losing her once was bad enough but twice, would surely kill him. I let out a quick breath as we reached the doors.

" Are you ready?" He asked hesitantly as though he wanted me to say no and run away, and abandon the whole idea. Me doing this job hurt him as much as it hurt me to watch him participate. The sooner I got this over with, the sooner I could relieve his pain. I sigh and huffed "Ready," as I gripped the cool metal handle of the facility door. I immediately turned green as I saw all heads turn to Ian and I. My thoughts were in disarray and I lamely clung to Ian. When the receptionist examined my now sickly coloured face and Sunnys limp body, she presses a square box on her desk and called for a healer names Golden Sun. The lady from behind the desk rushed to us after her page and came to our trio. I felt Ian's arm tense under my fragile fingers. As she approached, I took a dry swallow and stepped forward. I attempted to take Sunny from Ian's arms, but he only griped her tighter. He was testing my strength again. The pale lady with the name "Meredith" pinned onto her blouse came to me first and assured me by saying I would be treated right away. I didn't seem to be much of a sight for her. When her eyes scanned Sunny, her eyes opened in alarm and spoke with pure worry

"How long as she been like this, miss?"

"A few days, I meant to bring her in sooner, but I wasn't prepared for the long drive to get here." I responded, not entirely a lie, but not all of the truth. She bit her lip and nodded. A woman walked towards us in the usual healers apparel.

"Healer Golden Sun, we have another one" Meredith announced to her. The woman, Golden Sun quickened her pace and checked Sunnys eyes, just as Meredith did. She shook her head and looked at Meredith with alarm in her eyes.

" Its gone to stage 4, call Healer Harmony Bells right away we need to take her to the Right Wing." Golden sun instructed. Meredith ran behind the desk and talked on the phone in a hurried voice. I looked over at Ian and he still had his head lowered. Golden Sun turned to Ian and I.

" How about you?" She spoke in a gently voice. " Are you feeling ill too?" I guessed she was speaking to both of us. I looked over at Ian again and thought it would be best if he didn't look into her eyes.

" I am feeling slightly ill, but my partner hasn't had any symptoms as I' I answered fluidly. She smiled warmly at me.

" We'll I'm afraid you'll have to stay here longer, I'll get Meredith to send you to my room" She informed, and gave me another smile before she walked back into the corridors. Ian lifted his head out slowly.

"You should go before anyone gets suspicious," I offered. He nodded solemnly. I knew he felt the same as Kyle; he didn't want to let me go. Meredith came over to us with two other healers and took Sunny from Ian's arms and put her on a cot. They rolled her out as we watched.

"She'll be fine my dear" She assured. "You'll see her soon, now, Healer Golden Suns room is down the corridor and the second door to your left. Would you like me to go with you?" she asked helpfully. I shook my head and politely declined her offer. She nodded and went back behind her desk. I looked back at Ian who was staring at the floor. I took hold of his face and kissed him, as I was about to break away, he pulled me closer and made the kiss deeper. He broke away moments later and placed his forehead on mine, our noses slightly touching, his breath warming my face comfortably.

" Please, be safe" he said in a tight voice. "Please". I smiled a soft smile.

"Of course" I promised. I gave him a hug and breathed in his scent.

"I'll see you soon" I said as I kissed his cheek. He smiled and started walking towards the doors. I made my way down the corridor, and knocked on the door that Meredith said The Healer would be in, the room was any typical room. It was equipped with all necessary healing liquids and powders and had off white walls. I took a seat on the examination tale, and the white tissue paper crinkled and split as I sat down. After a few minutes of hearing nothing but the clock tick, footsteps were heard as they approached the door.


	7. Chapter 7

WPOV

The footsteps came nearer, but their pace was quickened. I gripped the edge of the examination table, poking holes through the off-white tissue paper. I heard urgent shouts and pleads as more footsteps became part of whatever was happening. The thudding in my ears became louder and more prominent, blocking my ability to continue listening. The handle on my door began to twist and a body entered the room. I immediately lurched back and fell of the table, curling into the corner. The person, who was heaving heavy breaths look down on me. From what I could tell, he was probably in his early thirties and had bleach blond hair. His eyes were wide with fear, glazed over and red. It was a shocking look due to the rest of his light features. The man approached, grabbed my arms, and began to shake me. I had never met a soul with this much fury. Was he indeed a soul? He must have been, his sky blue eyes had a touch of reflective silver in them.

"It's happening to you too, isn't it?" The man cried. I was in too much fear to say a word.

" Maybe not, but it will!" he shouted in my ear. What was he talking about?

"First, you'll feel sick. Then, your eyes will dim. You'll lose control of your body. Then…Then…. Then you're done. Get yourself out before its too late. Its too late for me." His voice was barely audible in the last few words. He stopped penetrating me with his eyes to cock his head back to the door. I couldn't hear a thing, but there must have been the sound of running feet. The man took a deep, long breath, glanced back at me then said only

"I wish you the best of luck. Hope something like this doesn't happen to a pretty young lady like you. Good Bye" Before I knew what he was doing, he closed his eyes, cried in pain, then a steady flow of blood poured out of his nose onto my jeans. He had killed himself.

Next thing I knew my face was warm and wet with tears. The need for Ian to be beside me was heart wrenching. I took his head in my hands and with a soft stroke of my fingers I closed his eyelids. I couldn't control the sobs ripping from my chest. My head was swimming with confusion and sadness over this stranger. My vision went blurry as I heard the soft murmur of voices. The ache in my brain and heart was becoming too much for me. I closed my eyelids and zoned everything out.

" What should we do with her?" said a voice. I wanted to open my eyes but everything in my body hurt.

"She seems like a fighter, she hasn't lost her vision, I don't think?" A different voice answered.

Ian.

I need to go back to Ian. The though of him suddenly made my eyes flutter open. Two souls in the Healer attire looked down upon me with care on their faces.

"Hello there. " said a familiar voice, Healer Glowing sun. I'm in her office.

" What happened to that soul? What have you done with him?" I asked. The healers looked at each other.

" I'm afraid he's gone now, his host hadn't completely gone therefore he was losing control of his body. I'm terribly sorry you had to see that" The other healer answered.

" I'm Healer Chime in the wind, by the way," he added with a large grin. I tried to give him a polite smile in return but the though of Ian flashed in my mind.

" I need to go," I said without thinking. The healers give me questioning faces.

" I have a son you see, my husband needs to go to his calling and I must look after my son," I said hurriedly. They nodded with understanding but as I was about to get up Healer Glowing sun put her warm hand on my shoulder to keep me back.

" Your friend, Sunny? She said her name was, I'm afraid she needs to stay with us longer" She explained. Right. Sunny. I had been so caught up in seeing Ian I had forgotten about Sunny.

"What's wrong with her?" I questioned. The healers exchanged a glance between themselves before directing their eyes to me.

"Well, you see, um, what's your name miss?" The male healer questioned, completely going off topic.

"Um, I'm Green waves. So what's wrong with my friend? I demanded.

"Well, you see Green waves, your friend has succumbed to her host. Without our help, she could be like the man you saw today my dear." He concluded. At first, I thought about how happy Kyle would be to find that Jodi was becoming stronger, but something about what he said made no sense. Sunny had never been close before to finding Jodi. It was impossible for her to come back so suddenly. The healers were wrong. I knew it. I wanted to tell them off, to say they were wrong, but what would that start? They would ask for my reasoning. I couldn't say we were trying to find the memories and voice of the host Sunny was in. Sunny and I were very rare. We are not supposed to be trying to help the humans. I couldn't possibly tell them. I attempted to put great sincerity into my voice, but it was filled with obvious hatred at their lie.

"Thanks so much," I spat, "how long will you be needing her?" The healer Glowing sun scratched behind her ear and hummed.

"Not long, if you can come back in around 2 days, and see how she's doing. Do you live close to here?" She asked.

"Not far, I could come back early in two days." I replied. She nodded and went to a cabinet that was by the door. She took out a cylinder that had didn't have any label to it, which confused me, they had labels on everything.

"Take this twice a day" It will help with the headaches. I nodded and took the cylinder from her. Both of them bid me goodbye with warm smiles before I left. Meredith waved goodbye as I exited the building. I walked slowly towards the back trying to process what had just happened. The strange man? Healers lying, which was very unusual for souls to lie in the first place why would they be lying about an illness?

As I reached the back of the Healing facilility and looked around for the familiar van. I spotted it almost right away behind a loading truck. Ian came out of the van hastily, almost breaking into a run. I smiled at his eagerness and quickened my own pace. As I reached him he immediately took me in his arms and showered me with kisses on my face. He looked into my eyes and I looked into his.

" I missed you" he whispered softly.

"Missed you too" I kissed him deeply and I felt him smile against my lips. He pulled away and took my hand, leading me to the van where the others sat patiently.

"Where's Sunny?" Kyle asked desperately.

" The healers had to keep her for a while, we'll talk when were alone. Motel?" I asked.

Jared nodded solemnly and quickly pulled out of the loading area. Melanie looked back with sad eyes. She didn't say anything but grabbed my hand. Ian held on to my waist pulling me against his body. He looked down on my jeans and saw that they were stained with blood.

"WHAT IS THIS" he bellowed. Kyle looked up and I saw Jared look at us from the rear-view mirror. Melanie snickered loudly as I sighed.

"I'll tell you at the motel" I said calmly.

"Is that yours?" he asked with wide eyes. I sighed.

"I'll tell you later. Like I said." I countered. Ian gave me a "this better not be yours or I'm going to kill whoever did this to you" look before he finally turned to look ahead of the van.

About eight blocks from the facility there was a cheap looking motel with a neon sign saying "Vacancy". Jared pulled into the lot outside three rooms. It was close to the check in centre.

"You can't go check in like in those pants," Melanie pointed out. I nodded in agreement and went to the pile of clothes neatly put away toward the back of the van. I took a pair of pants and changed into them quickly. I got out of the van and went into the small office. An older looking soul sat behind the desk. As the bell rung to aware him of my presence he looked up and gave me a crinkly-eyed smile. I gave him a small smile in return.

"Anything I can do for you?" he asked in a low voice. His tone seemed a little to welcoming.

"Yes, I was wondering if I could a room for three." I answered. As I spoke, he gave me a once over, which immediately made me want to hurdle back to Ian and use him as a shield against this mans disturbing stares.

"Would you like them be close to this office?" He asked, "It can get lonely at night. I may need company." He smiled in an overly pleasant sort of way. I had never seen a look like this in my life, but my host body seemed to remember such looks. I quickly added before he got carried away,

"No actually, I think I would like a far edge room. My partner and my friends like the quiet." The man who's name plate showed "Patrick" squinted his eyes and gruffly said

"Number 20 it is then." And he tossed me the keys. I quickly left the office and dangled the keys over my head. I hopped into the van and told them what room we would be staying at. Jared drove towards the room with the brass numbers 20 on the door. As we filed into the room the others sat on the bed and looked up at me, awaiting to hear what had happened at the hospital.


	8. Chapter 8

WPOV

I explained to them in detail as to what had happened in the hospital. Their faces showed shock and curiosity as I explained what the healers had said. I told them of the strange soul with the dimmed eyes and the nonsense he was talking about. I felt a tear escape and slide down my cheek as I told them of what he had done to himself. I looked over at Ian and his brows were furrowed in both worry and confusion. He took me in his arms and placed me onto his lap. He kissed my eyelids as the tears kept coming. I explained the rest of story whilst he was rocking me in his arms. Kyle was leaning against the off-white wallpaper; his hand ran through his fingers several times in frustration. He looked up at me; his midnight blue eyes were darker.

"We have to get her out," he said in a low voice, almost demanding. All heads snapped up to where he was standing.

"Are you kidding? We couldn't do that without drawing attention to ourselves. They will not let her leave." Jared retorted in a snarl. Kyle glared at him, then turned his piercing eyes back in my direction.

"Wanda, don't you think that's best?" Kyle pleaded. I could tell from his tone that he was not only worried about Jodi, but Sunny as well. I was touched by his newly found kindness to Sunny, not only Jodi.

"I'm not sure," I replied with confusion thick in my voice, "It would be strange if we asked to take a soul of from a healing facility, especially when she's sick. They wouldn't let her out anyway." I concluded. Kyle closed his eyes and let out a low growl and with that he opened the door and walked out. I felt my jaw drop instantly, I looked up at Ian and he shook his head softly.

"Don't worry, he won't do anything stupid, he knows better than that" He assured me.

"We don't know that for sure, he certainly doesn't have a reputation for making smart choices" Melanie spoke up.

" No, he knows Sunnys' life is at stake" Jared pointed out then he his hazel eyes wandered to my face.

" Why would the healers lie to you?" he asked.

" I don't know for sure if they were lying to me or not but don't you think its strange that she would get sick during the process of her host resurfacing" I said honestly. " Besides souls find it uneasy to lie and they're voices hardly faltered when they told me that her body is succumbing to the original host" I added

"Any soul could lie, you lie although not very good and all Seekers can lie. I don't think they would find it hard to do" Melanie said.

"Well there's definitely something they're not telling us, none of what you just told us makes sense," Jared concluded. I nodded in agreement and looked up to Ian's face. He smiled down at me and kissed my forehead softly.

"Don't worry love, all questions will be answered soon. It's been a long day so I think we should head to bed" he suggested.

" Yeah, probably" I agreed.

" We should too" Jared said wrapping an arm around Melanie's waist and pulled her to him. Ian got up slowly with me in his arms. He pulled out the covers and tucked me under. He slipped in after me and held me close to his chest. He kissed me slowly.

"Sleep Wanda" he urged as he pulled away. I closed my eyes immediately and fell into a deep slumber, my mind swimming with questions.

The next morning I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside our window. Ian brushed my light hair away from my face and pulled my face towards his.

"Good Morning" His warm breath tickled my cheeks as I felt them blush. I giggled as he kissed the tip of my nose and then my lips gently.

"Is Kyle back?" I asked groggily. Ian's smile faltered.

" No. Jared checked this morning, but we're sure he won't do anything and he'll probably be back by today or so. He just needs some time to think. I can relate to him, I don't know what I'd do I f I knew you were under the care of untrustworthy Healers." He said honestly.

"You wouldn't put yourself in danger would you?" I answered. The very thought of Ian being without me in the soul society scared me to death. Ian sensed my thoughts and whispered softly into me ear,

"Wanda, don't worry, we will never come to that. I will always protect you. I promise you that." His voice rang with pure sincerity.

I met his piercing cool, warming eyes and sighed in relief. I believed him. He kissed my forehead and rubbed his thumb across my furrowed brows until they relaxed. I was so caught up in the warmth Ian's touch gave me, I almost forgot about Kyle.

"What if Kyle does do something stupid? What if he gets himself in trouble and I can't help him? What if the souls get him?" As I asked each question, my voice rose until it was nearly a shout. Ian bit the side of his lip and after a moment, his cool warm eyes met mine and he spoke with hesitation,

"I guess it could happen, but I hope he isn't stupid enough to do anything until we come up with a plan." He completed. He seemed to be trying to believe this himself, not just trying to convince me. I let it go for now as we would deal with the problem if or when it came to that.

Ian got up and stretched, I watched as his back muscles rippled beneath his shirt. He turned around and caught me staring. His mouth twisted into a knowing smirk. I ducked my head and got up slowly, his chuckle filled the room.

"Where are Jared and Mel?" I asked.

" They're on the balcony" He replied. I heard the balcony doors open and watched Melanie and Jared enter the room.

" So Wanda, we were thinking, while we wait for Kyle to cool off and Sunny to get better you should get some food and we'll stay here another night if we need to." Jared suggested.

"Shouldn't we move to another Motel?" I asked, the last thing we needed were souls getting suspicious of us.

"No, it shouldn't be too suspicious and besides if Kyle doesn't come back till later then he wouldn't know where we are." Jared said.

"Besides, me and Jared noticed something today, there's not a lot of souls out anymore, like last night there would usually be souls out taking their evening walks or this morning there were hardly any cars out on the road" Melanie added.

"Yeah, that is a little strange' I agreed. " But that could mean anything, I mean it is getting colder at nights and today is Saturday so that could be why the lack of cars out this morning." They clearly hadn't thought of that as their faces lit up in understanding.

"So we should probably go soon, we need food." Melanie suggested Jared, Ian and I nodded our heads and got ready to go.

" We don't all need to go" Jared said, " It would be faster and easier if less go," he recommended.

"You're right, and seeing as Wanda needs to go I don't mind going with her" Melanie decided. Both Jared and Ian looked unwilling to the idea of their significant other going out by themselves, so to speak. Melanie laughed at their over protectiveness.

" We'll be very very careful" She assured them. Ian was about to speak up in protest, but I walked over to him before he could say anything and kissed him with as much passion I could muster. He melted under my lips and his hand cradled the back of my head. As he pulled away he put his forehead against mine.

"I don't wanna leave you," he muttered, gazing into my pale eyes.

"And you think I want to leave you?" I replied as I brushed some of his hair from his eyes. Ian was worried again. His eyes didn't sparkle like they usually did. I gave him a last kiss, which left my lips smouldering. I think he felt it too, for he made the kiss deeper, more than had originally intended. But I didn't care. When we heard a uncomfortable cough, we broke apart unwillingly. Melanie and Jared just stood by the window, Jared trying to look absentmindedly out the window, and Melanie giving me a smirk.

"You do realize that we will be gone for all of 10 minutes. Its not like you wont see each other again." she informed us. I giggled and nodded. I let go of Ian's warm hand and Mel and I were on our way. I gave a quick glance at Ian and gave him a smile, trying to be reassuring. He sighed then slumped onto the couch, remote in hand. Jared followed. Mel grabbed the keys then we stepped out into the hot bright morning, heading to the van.


	9. Chapter 9

WPOV

Silence rang through the hot van. Although it wasn't an awkward silence, as many thought s occupied my mind. We went by many mall strips, none had a market store where we could get the supplies we needed. We were just outside city limits when Melanie shouted.

"Found one!" her voice echoed in the metal van. She made turn and we were outside a small building with glass panels where you could see the fruit and vegetables arranged on the other side.

As she parked I unbuckled my seatbelt and got ready to get out.

"Don't be too long" she sang. I grinned at her and shut the door. As I walked inside I felt the cool breeze of the building. I took a basket and started going up and down the aisles getting the essentials. I was about to reach for a jug of milk when I heard a blood-curdling scream. I dropped my basket and made my way to the source of the scream. I gasped as I took in the sight before me. A middle aged looking woman was sprayed on the ceramic tiles. Eggs broken in her hand as it ran through her fingers. Her basket tilted by her feet, her cheek was pressed against the cold tile. Her wide eyes were open and staring right through me. I knew she was dead. Others rushed beside me and gasped at the horror on the floor. While everyone else was shouting and yelling to call the healers, I was zoned out, staring at her eyes. They no longer shone. There was only a dull grey lining. Just like the man at the healing facility. I tightly shut my eyes, attempting to seal off the tears that sprung to my eyes. I felt people swoosh past me, and I opened my now blurry with tears eyes to see the healers putting the woman in a body bag. While the others around me whispered and shared what they saw with each other, I quickly followed the healers. The healers were a middle aged man, and a young woman with shocking red hair. They redhead peeked around nearby isles, not spying me behind a stand with numerous flowers and she spoke quietly to the man,

"What are we going to tell people, Clyde? We can't say the truth. We don't have an answer." The woman alleged. The man sighed and responded,

"I know, I know Earth Sound, but we have to do it eventually. Besides, I think some other facility in the nearby city already exposed the truth. It will just be a matter of time until we are questioned." Clyde concluded. He gave Earth Sound a defeated glance then they continued to bring the body outside. So they know something is up, and they are lying. Just like I had said. But what kind of illness was it that was so strong, the soul medicine couldn't even fix? I didn't even try to stop the tears this time. The medicine they gave me would not help me, as they did not know what the problem was to fix. Sunny wasn't going to get better either. Of course I don't know this for sure but there must be someone out there with answers. I wiped at my cheeks furiously. All souls are just awaiting for that day, not knowing what's happening like the lady in the store. She didn't know she was going to die today. Shouldn't the Healers tell us souls the truth? Then again would we all rise in panic demanding to be shipped off to another planet? My legs moved although I've lost feeling in them. I was then picking up my basket and with one last look at the spot where that woman had fallen and died I left the store.

Melanie must've seen my red eyes. I couldn't see her eyes behind her sunglasses but her mouth was turned into a scowl. I opened the door and put the bags of food at the back. I felt her eyes following my movements. I sniffed as I wrung my hands in my lap.

"Wanda, what is going on, I saw the ambulance and a body bag and you crying and I am so worried so please tell me" She pleaded as she took off her sunglasses.

"A soul died" I said, she waited for me to continue.

"It was so sudden, I heard a scream and then there she was on the floor with dead eyes, which were surprisingly dim, like the man at the hospital" I shuddered and she put her arm around me in comfort.

"I followed the healers and they were talking about telling the truth to souls and that they don't have an answer, but an answer for what?" I rambled.

"I know you have a thought as to what they're talking to, you wouldn't cry in confusion" she accused me. I looked up at her knowing eyes and sighed.

"I think it's the illness that Sunny has. They don't know what's happening to souls to make them sick or suddenly die" I admitted. Her face showed only pure terror. I would imagine it would be a little bittersweet for her as she hates souls with a passion but she wouldn't want me nor Sunny to die, or the humans that the souls are occupying. She raised her hand to her mouth in shock and her breathing quickened.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no! "she chanted roughly. "What are we going to do?" she looked at me with sad eyes. This was a rare moment to see. Melanie was strong and never let her guard down and was always on top of things. I got worried immediately, how would Ian react to the news I just discovered.

"I'll tell you what we're going to do, we're not going to tell Ian," I said. She looked at me in confusion.

"Wanda something terrible may happen to you and no one knows what it is, therefore a solution to that problem would be very hard to find and you could end up just like the man and the woman that just died. What do you think Ian would do if he knew that I knew? I'll tell you, he would blame me for your death Wanda, that's what he'd do. Do you want that?" She shouted, nearly erupting into tears again. I was speechless. She was right. If there were a cure, it would have been found already. Plus Ian would blame her for knowing the whole time what was happening to me. Ian. I can't leave Ian. Tears sprung again and I was sobbing harder than ever before. I would have to leave Ian. It was inevitable. I would die and he would be alone without me. Even if I was to find a new body, I bet I would still be sick. It seems that the virus isn't in the human, but in the soul. It was hopeless. Between sobs, I managed to say.

"You're right, he has to know," I said in a defeated sigh. I could see Mel nod beside me. I knew it would be the right thing to do, but only one thought entered my mind,

"Mel, how am I supposed to tell him that I'm going to die?" I questioned with horror. Nothing I could say would make Ian not worry, for there was no hope. And as for Sunny, I would have to tell Kyle too. Mel wiped away she tears from her now flushed cheeks and gave me a tight hug. I was extremely concerned to how Ian would react.

"We'll figure it out" Melanie assured in a soft voice. I nodded my head and sighed heavily, I watched her take a deep breath and turn on the engine We drove out of the mall strip and headed to the hotel.

It seemed as though the drive wasn't long enough. I tried to think of my dialogue as I looked up at the bright blue sky. The thin wisps of clouds floating and slowly changing shapes.

"We're here" Melanie announced. She looked at me and unlocked our doors. I smiled at her trying to make myself look more courageous which I was far from. My hands clammed and I felt myself shaking. She opened the back doors and took out two plastic bags filled with food. She headed towards our door while I followed behind slowly. I gave her our key card and the sound of unlocking elements was heard. Mel took a step into the small room, and I followed reluctantly. The sudden cool breeze from the air conditioner was welcoming, but the chill only relieved me for a moment. I pretended to be deeply enthralled with the designs on the brown carpet, but I knew that Ian would see right through me. Nothing I did could stop me from seeing him rise from the couch and take four giant strides until he was at my side.

"Wanda, love, you're safe. I was worried. It seemed longer that it should have been." Ian sighed, relieved. My breathing came in shallow intakes as I prepared myself for the truth.

"How'd it go?" He questioned. This is it. He would know now.

"Great." It sounded even worse as I spoke. A soul would even suspect me.

"Wanda, what happened?" Ian insisted. Mel gave me a sharp look and Jared came over to her side. He wrapped and arm around her and kissed her cheek. All the while she kept her hazel eyes on me trying to urge me to tell him silently. Jared noticed this.

"Mel, what's wrong?" Jared probed. Melanie never looked at him but only tilted her head and widened her eyes.

"Well something happened at the store" I started. Ian saw my discomfort and took my hand. His fingers entwined with mine and he led me to the bed to sit.

"There was a soul…" I was suddenly interrupted by the door opening with a crash. A large silhouette was at the door. All my muscles froze his hand and I squeezed Ian's hand in a death grip. The figure emerged from the dark and I saw the familiar crooked nose and deep midnight eyes. I let out the breath I was holding and felt my muscles relax. He was holding something in one hand and his stance was menacing. Jared and Ian stood up simultaneously and took long strides towards him with their chins up and shoulders squared. I found this wrong; they had looked at him as dangerous. I walked up to Ian and put my hand on his shoulder, his body relaxed immediately. I took slow steps towards Kyle, I heard Ian grunt behind me but he made no actions to stop me. When I was close to Kyle I heard his breaths which were loud and deep, his nostrils flared in anger. I held his hand and took him to the bed. He sat, staring onto the wallpaper. All eyes were on him, nobody knew what to do next. I kneeled down to be eye-level with him.

"Take a look" He whispered. He held up his hand, which had a rolled newspaper in it. I took it from his hands slowly and started unrolling it. All I had to do was read the head line, and I knew that I could no longer hide this from Ian. It was happening now. In big, black bold letters, my life was unfolded,

'EPIDEMIC RAGES NOT ONLY THROUGH HOSTS, BUT IN SOULS THEMSELVES' Ian peered over me, reading the crumpled words. I could hear his ragged breath as he read it through, over and over.

"Wanda," He whispered shakily "Please don't tell me that this is what you think is happening to Sunny." Ian wasn't seeing the point.

"I-Ian, don't you see? Not only is this happening to Sunny, its, its happening to me." My voice cracked on the last word.

"What?" he roared "No. no. This isn't right. That's not going to happen to you. I won't let it." Ian began to shake me with every word he spoke, "How do you even know that it's true. You could just be over thinking this. Your letting your sudden headaches get to you." It no longer seemed that he was convincing me, but himself. I shook my head, and closed my eyes letting my tears flow down my face. I put my hand on his cheek, his eyes were glistening.

"Think about it, if it's so serious, then all the souls would be gone" Ian mumbled his voice almost inaudible. He closed his eyes slowly and a tear leaked form his eye. He leaned into my touched and kissed the inside of my palm. He wound his arms around my waist and held me so tight that I was sure he would never let go.

"You're fine, nothing is wrong, you're beautiful and healthy" He whispered in my ear, convincing himself once again. I buried my head in his chest taking in his scent while he buried his head in my hair.

"But no one knows what it is right? If no one knows what it is how could they be sure that all souls will die this way?" Kyle whispered.

"Haven't you noticed all the streets Kyle? What about the deaths that already happened? Isn't that a sign for things to come? Sure all of this seems recent, but what if the people that new were really good at hiding it?" I retorted, hot tears running again.

"THEN WE NEED TO GET SUNNY!" he demanded. Jared and Melanie looked solemn; no one knew what to say. Everyone wanted to help but nobody knew where to start. Kyle looked at all of us and then he looked at Ian intently.

"Please, Ian, you would do whatever it takes to get Wanda back if she was in Sunny's position. Why do they want to keep her if they don't know what it is? They're most likely using her as a guinea pig" His tone rose as he continued and he never took his gaze off of Ian.

"He's right Ian, you know he is. We all need to help" I urged.

"You don't even need to ask us" Jared said, as he wound his arm around Melanie's waist. She nodded showing her participation.

"Okay, we'll help," Ian sighed with defeat, "But I still don't believe that this is something we should be worrying about." He concluded.

"So who's hungry? It's been a rough day." Jared broke the awkward silence with his suggestion. We all nodded in agreement, though I assumed that after what just happened, few were in the mood to eat.


	10. Chapter 10

WPOV

That night we had decided that getting Sunny out of the hospital was first priority. Then we can get to the bottom of the situation, no one knew what was happening. A million thoughts ran through my head. Was I going to die suddenly or was I to suffer just as Sunny is at this moment? Ian didn't handle the information well, that night he held onto me tight as I drifted to sleep, he whispered in my ear, telling me or rather himself, that I was fine and nothing was to happen to me. When he slowly let his arms sprawl away from me, I became suddenly aware that I wasn't going to be able to hold onto him forever. With horrified thoughts in my head, I attempted to drift to sleep. I was gratefully unsuccessful and decided to listen to the even breathing of Ian, so peaceful and undisturbed.

I had no idea how long I was awake, but the clocks glowing red numbers seemed to pass faster that normal. As the sun began to rise, the skin on my hand was illuminated by a slit of sun peaking through the thick curtains. It was morning already, and it passed as if were minutes. Ian looked extremely peaceful, the morning sun lit up his perfect face. I brought my hand up to trace his face, memorizing every line and curve. The corner of his mouth twitched and it soon turned into a smile. He captured my hand and brought it to his lips.

"Morning love" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. I grinned as he placed more kisses on my hand.

"Good Morning" I greeted back. He took my waist and pulled me closer to him. He kissed my forehead and held me tighter. I revelled in the moment not knowing what the day was going to bring us.

"Ian, I'm scared" I admitted. He looked down on my and placed his warm hand on my cheek.

"There's nothing to be scared of, I'm never going to lose you" He said solemnly. He placed another kiss on my forehead and put his chin on my head.

"Never" he repeated with an edge to his voice. He was determined and also in denial. He would never believe that at any moment in time I may die. I didn't even want to believe it, but I accepted it. Seeing though as only time would convince him the truth, I let it drop without further persuasion to believing me.

Everyone seemed to have the same, jumbled awakening as they tumbled out of there beds. Kyle wasn't present. When Ian glanced around the room, he noted his brothers' absence and groaned with disappointment. After looking in the bathroom mirror, I noticed that the dark bags under my eyes were ones that could not be hidden.

Once everyone was ready for the day, we sat altogether in the room, all pondering the same thought. What kind of plan could we devise that would allow us to get hold of Sunny?

"Should we get back up?" Melanie asked.

"No, we don't need to bring the others in danger also it would be less of a hassle if it was only us" Jared answered. We all nodded in agreement. He was right, there would be too many humans, and souls would start getting suspicious.

"Where the hell is Kyle?" Jared asked angrily. We would've still have saved Sunny without him, but he was definitely the main component in the plan.

"I don't have a clue but I'm sure he'll be here before noon" Ian guaranteed. I believed him, Kyle was probably setting up most of the plan so we wouldn't have to do a lot. We decided to pack up and leave the motel. Staying at the same place two nights in a row was dodgy but pushing it to three and you have danger.

As we were packing up the last of our minimal possessions, Kyle was walking this way with a duffel bag slung around his shoulder. At that moment we knew he had a plan, it may not be full proof but it was a plan. When he reached us Jared and Ian gave him a nod to acknowledge his presence. Mel and I softly smiled at him.

"You guys ready?" He asked. We all nodded our heads simultaneously, and with that we all climbed into the van, eager to hear what he had prepared.

Jared took the wheel, I sat in the passenger seat, and Ian, Mel and Kyle were all in the back. Kyle spoke loudly, ensuring that we all heard what he was saying. He unzipped his duffel bag and pulled out pieces of paper which looked like blueprints, white lab coats and name tags.

"Where did you get those?" Melanie asked immediately.

"There was a small storage room at the back of the hospital, I wanted to get Sunny immediately, but I realized how stupid that would have been" He admitted honestly.

"You got that right." Jared laughed. Kyle rolled his eyes at Jared's remark.

"So what exactly did you have in mind?" I asked Kyle. When Kyle turned his penetrating gaze from Jared, I saw how hollow his eyes looked. They didn't have the fire ice feeling that Ian's gave off. He missed Jodi, Sunny as well.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe, if we dressed and fit the part of a healer, they wouldn't suspect a thing. Especially if we knew the way around the building, as if we worked there. We would have to be fast, for I'm positive that someone wouldn't recognize a doctor in the building." He concluded.

There was a hint of smugness in his tone. He was sure that this would work. He looked at Jared, awaiting approval. Jared seemed to go over the plan in his head, searching for any flaws. After moments of silence, he asked,

"How do you plan to just walk in and not get suspected? We definitely can't go through the front, and if we go in the back entrance, I'm sure at least one patient or healer would happen to be passing the door at the moment we open it," Jared paused, thinking of another reason, when one crossed his mind, he added,

"Say we do get in, but we can't be sneaking into her room without permission, then we would have to carry her out as well. How would we possibly manage that and still stay inconspicuous?" He concluded.

Kyle obviously hadn't thought of that as his eyes flickered and seemed far away. The excitement and eager in his face was drained. I thought hard, thinking of any reason why Sunny would be needed to be moved.

"We could say that another Healer needs a patient at her stage of illness in his hospital to examine?" I suggested.

"That could work!" Melanie exclaimed.

"They'd be too curious to ask questions" Ian said.

"Not if we were thorough with our answers, they wouldn't suspect anything." Jared offered. We all nodded, knowing this was true.

"So I guess that means we can start right away," Kyle's voice was hinted with his excitement. I wanted nothing but to help him get Sunny back, but he wasn't seeing the bigger picture. Nothing we did was going to save her from whatever was affecting all souls. Though I didn't want to keep giving him false hope, I wasn't going to be the one to burst his bubble.

"Yeah, I guess that means we have to do this today," I concluded. I was nervous, and I could feel Ian tense beside me. This was going to either work or fail miserably.

"Pass me those blueprints Kyle. If anyone is going to plan this, it better be the best." Jared alleged. When the papers were given, Jared scanned them, over and over again, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper in time.

"We need someone to stay in the van and keep watch; do we know where they're keeping her?" He asked. I took the blueprints from his hands and examined them. The layout of the hospital was not too complex but there were many rooms where they could be keeping Sunny. Thinking back to the hospital reminded me of something, an important element that may help us.

"They told me to go back" I remembered out loud. All eyes snapped to me.

"What?" Kyle asked sharply.

"They said to come back in about two days" I explained.

"That could help us, you would then know where they're keeping her if they don't let her go" Jared said softly.

"Alright here's the plan, Wanda is going to go back and ask them if they'd let her go, if they refuse then you ask them just too simply see her." He paused

"You need to remember the room number and directions to get to there" he looked at me and continued talking.

" Mel and I will disguise ourselves as healers and try to get her, I'll go over what we'll say with you" his hazel eyes stopped to Mel, she nodded in understanding.

'Kyle will stay in the van."

"What?" Kyle interrupted. "I should be helping take her out, not be the look out" he retaliated.

"Look, Kyle we don't know what's going to happen and your volatility is something that could take our risks onto a higher level" Melanie explained. Kyle knew that his temper problems would get in the way, he moved his gaze onto the van floor.

"Alright, alright, so I stay in the van" He said in a defeated tone.

"Wanda and Ian will stay near the exit doors, where we will be coming out of and so you'll be there if you hear or see any problems with the souls" he ordered. Ian nodded gravely and tightened his grip around my waist. I knew that he was going to do everything humanly possible from having me do a single thing, of course.

"Okay, so are we ready?" Jared asked. I was terrified. This was happening to fast. I didn't have time to think all the possibilities. Even though we had a plan, it seemed as though we were taking too many chances and not thinking everything through. My mind was hurting from over thinking. The world seemed to spin around me. I grabbed for the nearest thing, which was Jared's arm. He jumped slightly, shocked from my sudden movement. I closed my eyes for several moments; a buzzing noise filled the car.


	11. Chapter 11

KPOV

I felt guilty as hell. I knew that Wanda was too affected by the illness, she had the same mild headaches Sunny had but I never spoke this thought out loud because my first priority at the moment was to get Sunny out. It wasn't fair, I mean, I'd want nothing more than to have my Jodi back. To see her smile the way she used too, the way she'd roll her eyes when I did something immature. I missed her, but Sunny was growing on me, I liked her protectiveness, she cared about me. I knew how much it hurt her, she knew how I loved Jodi and that love wasn't the same towards her. I was grateful that she understood my love for Jodi, the one I couldn't feel for her. Maybe, just maybe, I could learn to like Sunny overtime, but since it sounded like I wasn't going to have much time, I didn't think to much of it.

"Wanda? Wanda are you feeling okay?" Ian asked worriedly. God my brother was such a cling on. Seriously, I knew Wanda meant the world to him, but he seems way to over protective.

"Yeah Ian, I'm fine." Wanda answered, soothing Ian, "I think I feel sick out of nervousness." He nodded his head, contented by her answer. I knew damn straight that it probably wasn't the whole reason. She was going to be in Sunnys state sooner than she thought. I think she knew this too, I gave her a stare and she looked away from me immediately. Yeah, she knew how sick she was and she was trying to pass off as being perfectly fine.

"Okay guys, we're here." Jared said, sounding nervous.

"So does everyone remember their roles?" Mel asked, sounding the same as Jared. Was I the only one who was more than ready to do this? The sooner this happened, the sooner my Jodi, and Sunny would be safe. Safer anyways.

"Jared, park in between the two big trucks" Melanie pointed out. Jared did as he was told and looked to Wanda.

"Ready?" he asked. She smiled at him and nodded slowly. Wanda got out of the car, Ian followed. He needed to say his goodbyes of course. Melanie saw my face and shook her head.

" Kyle, I don't think you know how dangerous this is, and the others don't even know what the hell were up to right now, they could be searching for us and that will just lead up to a big mess. Or how about if they won't let Wanda out what will we do then? We can't just go in there and take her out, do you understand?" She rambled; I rolled my eyes at her.

"Always the optimist aren't you?" I sneered. She sighed and shook her head once more and I caught a glance at Jared. He looked ready to punch my face in, I probably knew better than to talk to Melanie coldly, but at this time I didn't care if I'd upset her.

Ian opened the passenger door and slid into the seat.

"We'll give her half an hour and no more, there's a chance they may take her," he said sternly. I was glad he knew the reality of it, he knew how she was getting sick but at times he was usually in denial and that pissed the hell out of me.

"Righteo bro," I promised. He gave me his famous ' I know you couldn't care less, but I'll make your nose even more crooked if you mess this up' look. I laughed quietly.

After approximately five whole minutes, Ian began twiddling his thumbs, peering out the window every three seconds, scanning the floor for any imperfections. This is what the unstable people do when they are worried. Ian needed to relax. It hadn't been very long, though it felt as if hours had passed.

"Um, don't worry man, I'm sure everything will go perfectly. She is probably on her way back now, with good news. Just chill. Watching you go crazy makes me wanna strangle you." I said, attempting to lighten him up. He sighed only in response, and then turned his head out the window, watching the motion censored doors as patients walked in and out. I let it drop and went back to waiting silently, hoping for her return with comforting news at hand.

WPOV

As I entered the doors I felt a sense of unease coarse through my body. Many souls were in the waiting room, whispers filled the room. I walked straight towards the desk where the same soul sat behind it. Meredith smiled at me but not in recognition. I smiled back politely and hoped my nervousness didn't show through.

" Hi, my friend and I was here the other day, she was very ill and she stayed here, I was wondering how she is," I stated. She nodded and gave me a look to tell me to continue.

" Her name is Sunny …umm Sunshine Passing Through Ice," I told her. She nodded once more and looked onto a screen.

'Ah yes, I'm sorry dear but she's not well enough to go home at this moment, she needs to stay more approximately another week, I'm afraid her illness had gotten worse" She said genuinely, sympathy clear in her silvery eyes. I was extremely disappointed as I hoped that we didn't have to risk our lives but it seemed as though the plan was about to be set.

"Oh, Well could I possibly see her?" I said shyly, almost afraid of her answer. She chewed on her lip, unsure.

" I suppose it will be fine, ill send a healer to come and show you to her" She decided, she picked up the phone and started murmuring into it. She finished talking and beamed at me.

" Ah here is Healer Echoing Song" She looked behind my shoulder. I turned around and sure enough there was a healer walking down the hallway with a small smile on his face. When he reached us, he outstretched his hand towards me.

"Hello, I'm Healer Echoing Song " He introduced himself his smile never faltered and it was making me uneasy.

" I'm Green Waves" I mumbled as I took his hand and shook it warmly, he nodded his head and turned towards another hallway.

" Follow me," he said as he looked at me behind his shoulder. The white walls made my head ache and my hands were clammy as I made them into fists. I was slightly terrified; I didn't know what was to happen.

" So Sunshine Passing Through The Ice is your friend?" He asked, trying to make small talk.

" Yes, very close" I stumbled. Nervousness was restricting my voice. So right turn from the front desk, following down a curved hallway, another right, down past four doors, or was it three? I wasn't sure. A left at the end then there was Sunnys room. I was going to have to try to remember it all, though it seemed impossible in a habitat that looked the same all the way around. I was interrupted by Echoing Songs voice, causing me to lose my train of thought,

"We're here. Would you like me to go in, or wait outside the door?" He questioned. By the sounds of his voice, it seemed as if he wished to come in with me.

"No, I think I'll be just fine on my own, thanks," I responded. He nodded gruffly the opened the door. I gasped when I saw how much Sunny had changed. She was put into her own room; I didn't know whether or not I should take this as a good or bad thing. Her skin didn't have the same sun kissed glow as it did before, her eyes opened suddenly in alarm. I gasped again, the silver in her eyes seemed to be fading, and a hazel colour was mixed with the silver.

"Who's there?" She asked, she tried to have an authoritive tone but failed miserably. She looked feeble and fragile; I've never felt so helpless in my life. I was unable to help her, just like how I was unable to help myself. Anything I did wouldn't make the slightest difference in her condition. Would I end up blind like her? Not being able to see Ian and his midnight eyes. The very thought sent a shudder down my back and a stabbing effect in my heart.

"S-Sunny it's me, Wanda." I comforted. Sunny glanced to where I was standing, looking but not seeing.

"Oh Wanda, its you. I've missed you all so much. Can I leave now? I miss Kyle so much. So does Jodi," she sad with a sigh. Wait, did she just say 'Jodi' missed him? Is that possible?

"Sunny," I said with alarm, "what do you mean Jodi misses him? I asked hurriedly.

"Jodi spoke to me the other day, it was a first. I was frightened, but she only said one sentence, then that was it. I haven't heard from her again." She concluded, sounding relieved that Jodi had not returned afterwards. Was that one of the side effects of the virus? That the host would resurface and come back to their body? I hoped not. If it was the sad truth, it was going to be unbearable.

A small knock on the door startled me, letting me enter reality. The healer poked his head in and said,

"I'm afraid need you to leave now, I need to do a few quick blood tests with her, so can you wrap it up? You could come back tomorrow." He sounded almost in a rush to make me leave. I nodded my head and gave him a forced smile.

"I just need 5 more minutes" I told him, he seemed reluctant to go but he closed the door behind him as he left the room.

" Sunny, could you feel her now, is she there?" I asked her.

" I can feel her in my mind, she's not saying anything all I got was memories, lots of memories of her past but I couldn't control them, she was" She said honestly. I got worried, why would Jodi come so suddenly and not before. Was this part of the illness? I needed to stop flooding my mind with questions and think what I have to do.

"Listen Jodi, we need to get you out of here right away, we're planning on getting you out, today" I warned her. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and then she broke out into a smile.

"Kyle's coming?" She asked softly. I felt the threatening tears prick my eyes, he was coming but would he handle the thought of Jodi being back, what would he do, would he have to choose between Jodi and Sunny? I nodded but then remembered she couldn't see me.

"Yes" I confirmed. She broke out into an even bigger smile.

"Jodi misses him so much" She breathed as she hung her head. Her fingers roamed onto the blanket that laid on top of her, she played with the thread on the frayed edges. She knew he must choose one or the other, my heart went out to her, I knew how she felt. I went over to her and patted her hair and gave her a soft hug. She smiled softly;

"I'll talk to you later?" She questioned.

"Of course" I assured her. I left the room hesitantly, and was greeted again by the healer. He walked me back to the front door, making me more confused since all the directions I had remembered were backwards, then he waved goodbye and headed back. As soon as he was finished with the tests, our plan would be put into action. I was already tensing up by the thought.

**Thanks everyone for reviewing, we extremely appreciate it. We are on some-what of a writing break and will be posting in a few weeks or so. Continue to review and the next chapter will be up soon. :D Thanks again for your supportive comments.  
**

**-Joker Accomplices**


	12. Chapter 12

JPOV

My eyes kept glancing back to the exit doors impatiently. Melanie had a tight grip on my hand and my other hand gripped the wheel just in case someone spotted us and we needed a fast getaway. Mel's hazel eyes were glued onto the green digits on the clock, it had been past 15 minutes and her grip got tighter every minute that went by. Kyle was on his back on the cold metal floor of the van, his arms folded neatly behind his head. He was staring up to the vans rusted ceiling it was quite unnerving how calm he was. Ian and Kyle had seemed to switch roles, while Kyle was as calm as a Hindu cow, Ian couldn't stop moving. His fingers tapped onto his denim-covered leg and he would mutter a few words that no one could comprehend. At times I saw Kyle's eyes shift to glimpse at his younger brother, his deep blue eyes shone with amusement and every once in a while the corner of his mouth twitched daring to say a witty comment to Ian but he knew better. The silence was uncomforting, the only things that could be heard was Ian's soft and angry mutters, the engines of trucks pulling in and out of the lot and the hum of the large air conditioning that was only meters away from where we were parked. Melanie's hand suddenly tensed to a tighter strain on my hand.

"There! There she is!" Melanie bawled. She has then loosened her grip and my blood flow came pounding into my fingers, which had turned to a shocking purple. Wanda took frantic glances behind her, checking for any followers. Ian was already poised on his knees, ready to slide the van door open with welcoming arms. Kyle rolled his eyes and I could see the white in the knuckles of my hands as my grip got tighter onto the wheel in anticipation.

Wanda's steps were careful, she didn't walk too fast or to slow so not to draw attention to herself but as she got closer to the van I noticed her steps got much faster. Ian slid the door open as soon as she was a meter away. She climbed in gracefully with Ian's help. He hugged her and muttered more angry words starting with "I swear to baby Jesus if anything had happened…" and ended with something that was incomprehensive.

"Well? Did you get to see her? Is she alright" Kyle said with an impatient tone as he gripped onto Wanda's small shoulders. Ian gave him a dangerous look and pushed Kyle's arms off harshly. Wanda gave him a soft smile and answered careful with her words.

"Kyle, listen," Wanda paused and drew in a small breath, "She's, she's in a very unstable state. She's beginning to hear Jodi. She' loosing herself. We need to get her out, we need to get her out now!" Wanda's voice cracked on her last word and she crumpled into Ian's chest. Ian buried his lips into her hair, whispering silently. So Jodi was coming back?

"This disease...it only harms the souls but not the humans?" Melanie asked. Wanda shrugged.

"Its hard to say, I guess it would harm the human to an extent but it seems as thought its more affecting the souls than the humans, her eyes are changing back it's a sign that the human inside is coming back" she theorized. At that moment all eyes went to Kyle, his face looked torn. We all knew that he was falling or already in love with Sunny but we also knew he missed Jodi terribly and would do anything to get her back. He was silent, his eyebrows furrowed with confusion and thought.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked them.

"I say we stick to the plan," Kyle voiced. Melanie nodded in agreement with him.

" We need to get her out, they don't even know what's happening themselves and they're using the patients as guinea pigs to try and fix this problems, who knows what they're doing to her" Kyle said with worry. No one knew if he was talking about Sunny or Jodi and we didn't want to ask. I looked at them all in the eyes.

" So we all agree? We stick to the plan?" I asked. They all nodded grimly.

"It's the best plan we've got right now," Wanda encouraged as Ian's arms wound tighter around her small body, "I saw a room labelled 'Staff' down the hallway , it looked to small to be a room , I'm sure that there are some healers lab coats and such in there , take them so you wont be questioned." She concluded. I looked at Mel, and she seemed to be playing this plan over in her head repeatedly. The lines between her eyebrows tightened when I believed she had reached a dilemma.

"Say we do in fact get in and they don't realize we're humans, how are we going to sneak Sunny away? We have no alibi for another patient with her condition." Mel asked. Wanda paused for a moment, then I saw an idea spark into her grey eyes.

"The healer in charge of Sunny said she was going for blood tests so I had to leave. If you stick to the original plan, but incorporate her blood samples into it, you'll have no problem sneaking her out." Wanda concluded, seeming excited that the whole scenario had become cohesive. A wide grin spread across Mel's face, " I think that'll work. Jared lets go. I don't want to waste any more time," she pleaded. I nodded and looked at Kyle authoritatively.

"Kyle, you stay in the van no matter what, understand? If Mel and I don't come back in an hour you stay in this van and let Wanda and Ian come in after us, do not under any other circumstance get out of this van" I said gruffly. He smirked and nodded. I climbed out of the van and helped Melanie out.

"One hour" She clarified to them as they nodded in understanding. I narrowed my eyes and shot Kyle a look through the window as he scrambled into the drivers seat. I put my hand on the small of Mel's back and led her through the exit door. I felt her shivers and whispered to her softly.

"Don't worry about a thing" her pride shone through her eyes.

"I'm not worried," She stated. I smiled at her tentatively knowing that the words were forced, she hated showing fear. As we stepped onto the linoleum floor we saw the door that had the large letters on it spelling out "STAFF". Melanie reached for the door handle and sure enough crisp white coats and light blue and green scrubs hung on wire hangers. I took a double take, spying for any wandering eyes. The coast was clear. Mel yanked me into the closet and we swiftly dressed in healer apparel. As I was lacing up the back of Melanie's sea form green scrub like shirt, I spotted a brand new clip board in the corner under a fresh pack of latex gloves. I reached over Mel's head and handed it to her.

"Just pretend to examine a chart or something on here if we come across a healer. They won't bother to question us." I told her. She nodded and reached for the handle, "Ready?" she asked, as she peered out into the hall. She roughly grabbed my hand and shut the door behind me.

"Damnit," Mel whispered as we walked casually, "I forgot to ask Wanda which hall Sunny's room is in."

"Stay here and give me the clipboard," I commanded her, "I have an idea." I walked down the hall back towards the entrance and approached the front desk. Looking down at the clipboard, very professionally I asked the receptionist there which room Sunlight Passing Through The Ice was in.

" Hall B, Room 21A first floor " she replied without a second glance at me. I said my thanks and on my way back to Mel I glanced and studied quickly at a floor plan so we wouldn't get lost. I grabbed Mel and led her to Sunny's room. Around five minutes later we found ourselves standing outside a wooden door with 21A printed neatly on it. I reached for the handle but Mel put her hand over mine telling me to pause. She put her ear against the door and listened for any sounds. She nodded and she lifted her hand from mine and let me continue.

"Healer? Can you get me a glass of water please?" Sunny croaked. Mel and I took a step towards her bed.

"Sunny, it's us, Mel and I, we are here to bring you home." I told Sunny. She looked blankly in our direction. Wanda hadn't told us she was blind.

" You came to get me" Sunny stated.

" Of course we did, Kyle wouldn't have had it any other way" Mel told her in a comforting voice.

" Is he alright?" her voice rose in alarm. Melanie shushed her gently.

" He will be once he sees your face again now, Jared could you wheel over the ….Jared" She called. I walked over to her side immediately.

"What? What is it?" I questioned worriedly.

"Look at her eyes, do you remember what they looked like before? They weren't so shiny, they were dimmed almost human but now…" She whispered. I bent my neck so I could see clearly and she was right , they were back to soul like.

" They probably found out what was wrong and fixed it," I explained. She nodded unsurely.

"No, that's not why. The healer put this liquid in my eye, saying they would bring the soul look back." Sunny explained.

"Oh ok. Are you still hearing Jodi?" Mel asked. Sunnys eyes glazed over and she nodded her head tightly m a tear rolled down her pale cheek.

"She wont leave me alone, she keeps telling me that Kyle will want her back and I'd be gone as soon as he heard that she was back," She sobbed. Melanie went over to her and wrapped her up in a hug and let her cry onto her shoulder. Melanie pointed to the corner of the room where a wheeled cot was propped against a wall. I walked over to it and make sure it was sturdy and wheeled it over toward Sunnys bed. Her sobbing subsided but her bottom lip was trembling.

"We're getting you out ok, you have to be very still and pretend you are sleeping, could you do that for us? For Kyle?" Mel informed her.

"Yes" Sunny replied. Mel and I lifted Sunny up softly and placed her on the hard cot. Melanie tucked her in with blankets as I looked out the door to see if any souls were coming our way and thankfully there wasn't. I directed Melanie out and I led the way as she strolled Sunny's still body behind me. As we were about to turn a corner a voice behind me yelled out

"Wait, Healers, Wait" I turned around to see Mel's face turn into horror and Sunnys body become tense.


	13. Chapter 13

WPOV

The seconds ticked by as if they were days, all of our eyes met with the bright green digits as each number changed. Kyle was restless, his fingers kept tapping against his leg which was shaking uncontrollably.

I felt my eyes grow weary, my headaches came and went in soft waves, every time my eyes fluttered a pair of soft hands would rub my arms and my back.

" Hey, you alright?" Ian asked, his eyes penetrated mine, looking for any signs of discomfort which I'm sure was clear but I struggled my hardest to keep my facial expressions light and focused.

I nodded my head vigorously.

"I'm just nervous, about Mel and Jared" I lied. In the back, I could hear Kyle huff impatiently. I clearly wasn't the only one in the van who noticed how fast the clock seemed to be.

"You know what, I'm sick of waiting," Kyle grunted "I'm going in." Somehow, Ian knew Kyle would say it before he said it, for he had lunged over the seat, tackling him as he reached for the van door handle.

"Jesus Kyle! What exactly were you going to do? Huh?" Ian roared, "There's no chance in hell you could get in without being spotted." Kyle trashed under Ian, shoving his brothers arm from across his neck.

Ian removed his arm and stood as high as the van's roof allowed, he stared down at his brother, his blue eyes on fire, his chest moved from the deep breath intake.

'Fuck! Ian, lower your voice!' Kyle shouted. He started to get up but Ian didn't have any of it. He grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled his face up so their noses were almost touching.

"I'm serious Kyle, anymore of your thoughtless moves could get us killed and I'm not risking her life because you made another one of your dumb ass decisions. He pointed at me. Kyle's eyes followed Ian's finger and stared into mine.

"Wanda, please, they've been gone for over an hour" he pleaded. Ian's face contorted to one of disgust and shoved his brother onto the metal floor, the word pathetic softly arose from him.

Kyle made no indication that he had heard Ian's comment his eyes glued to mine.

My mind was blurry, tears of the head pain and the stress coming brought tears to my eyes. Ian rushed over beside me and stroked my hair

" Wanda, look at me, lie down for a minute" He took control of my body as my muscles became slack, he laid me so that my head rested against his thigh.

"Sorry, just give me a second" I whispered.

"You've nothing to be sorry for, just take it easy" He glared at Kyle. Kyle still hasn't left his eyes of mine, they held a feeling of pain and frustration in them.

After a few seconds of silence I regained my focus and sat up.

" We need to go," I stated.

' No, we wait" Ian rebutted.

I looked at him with pleading eyes.

"They've been gone over an hour," I said. He sighed and brought his hands up to his head, tugging at his hair in frustration.

"This is what were going to do" He started.

Kyle instantly smirked, happy that his brother finally gave in.

" Wanda and I will go in, only us. You got that Kyle?" Ian voice was stern " Then we'll walk in, saying we are there to visit a patient, and we'll have a look around for the three of them. Sound good?" Ian asked, directing his plan at me. I contemplated, but I didn't see any problems.

"Yeah, sounds good. If Mel, Jared and Sunny get back before us, we'll make sure we're not gone too long," I concluded. Ian nodded and averted his eyes to Kyle, who seemed contented by the plan.

"Ok, but if no one shows up in the next half hour, I'm going in. Got it?" Kyle's voice was fierce."

Ian looked at him suspiciously, he didn't seem to happy with this.

"45 minutes" Ian challenged.

" Nu-Uh ! I've been waiting all goddamn day" he said

" Then it wouldn't be too hard waiting another measly 15 minutes would it then?" Ian retorted."

Kyle looked immediately defeated.

Before Ian opened the door he took a long look at Kyle.

"45 minutes" Ian repeated.

"GO!" Kyle urged. I mentally rolled my eyes at their immaturity and followed Ian. He kissed the side of my head and took my hand in his. I smiled up at him and he glanced down giving me a brief smile and then turning his expression back into serious. I sighed and walked along.

" We need to go in the back Ian, they wouldn't suspect me as I am a soul but we shouldn't risk it," I told him.

He squeezed my hand tighter and led me to the back doors.

As we stepped onto the bright linoleum Ian's posture changed into one of defence. His pace brisk, serious face and his eyes darted around the whole hallway, keeping his eye out for the slightest movements.

As we headed towards a corner we heard multiple steps coming our way. I panicked and looked at Ian for direction. A door was directly beside him; he turned the knob with force and quickly pulled me in behind him.

My heartbeat was wild, my breathing uncontrolled.

Ian swiftly pulled me into his chest and hugged me tightly but still allowing me to breathe. I listened to the soft steps, which stopped in front of our hiding place. I felt Ian's heart stop. Murmurs from the people outside became audible as we listened in. From their deep-set tones, I came to the conclusion it was two men.

"I'm telling you, we ought to tell someone, this could get ugly Green Duster," A deep voice said hastily.

"No, no, if this gets out, every soul will panic, we mustn't start anything. Besides, are we _100%_ sure? This could be anything. We don't know that there isn't a cure for this, that was just us delving to deep into things, Red Spirit," The other more monotone voice concluded. There was a silence. Ian glanced down at me, with a mix of fear and curiosity flaming in his eyes.

"Fine," The man, Red Spirit finally said, " But I'm telling you, this is the only explanation. Why else would all these souls be dying? The host rebelling to us is the only thing that makes sense!" We heard a sigh, then the sound of footsteps walking away.

Ian looked down at me with glistening eyes,

" Your Dying ?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys, sorry about the much anticipated wait, we've had a lot on our plates. Hopefully we'll be getting back to this and finishing the story as soon as possible. Enjoy, and there's more to come :)**

**-Joker Accomplices**

MPOV

Jared and I stopped suddenly in the hall. My heart felt as if it would pound right through my chest. Was this it? Were we caught? I took a quick side glance at Jared. His temple was glistening with sweat, but I saw a subtle nod. I knew we had to do our best. I turned around to the beckoning Healer and assessed his face. He seemed to be genuinely concerned with his patient, but not wary of our fake identities.

"May I help you, Healer?" I asked, using a voice very unlike my normal tone. It seemed sweet and singsong. I hoped he wouldn't hear my hostility.

"Yes", he responded, " What are you doing with my patient? I am her only Healer".

Jared shifted uncomfortably in my peripheral, clutching onto Sunnys' bedrail tighter.

"Umm…" I started.

"We are new to this department, and we haven't seen any soul with her particular symptoms. We were taking her to have some blood work done, just so we could investigate her further." Jared interjected, covering my loss for an excuse.

"Oh, well I had her blood work done today, if you would like to see her charts." The Healer said in a relieved tone.

"Yes", Jared and I said in unison, "That would be excellent." Jared concluded.

The healer handed the clipboard he was holding to me without a trace of hesitation in his face. I accepted it without looking at him and pretended to scan through the pages. I quickly glanced to Jared to see him averting the healer by tucking in Sunny and making sure she was comfortable. The healer stood there patiently, I knew I had to stall before he figured out who we really were.

"Are many of the other patients at this stage?" I asked, still pretending to scan the test results.

"Well, although you're new to this department I'm sure you've heard of the fast spread of this case. The stage that she has is typically when the patients come to the healers, there are only two more stages until the patient separate themselves from their hosts" He whispered the last part.

I looked up in shock, first at Jared to see him wearing the same expression as I, then at the healer.

I regretted it instantly as I watched his hand reach to the pager.

JPOV

As I saw Mel make eye contact with the healer, my adrenaline pumped through my veins, pulsing through my brain. His eyes widened, his pupils grew and his hand trembled as it crept towards the pager he had clipped to his scrubs' pocket. We didn't have time to talk our way out of this one, we needed a fast effective escape. I stopped thinking as my hand tightened and snapped right into the healers temple. He mustered a grunt before he hit the floor, knocked out cold. I immediately looked around, scanning for any witnesses, then I met Mel's wide, shocked eyes.

"Jared!" Mel whispered, exasperated. "What do we do now?" She was transfixed on the unconscious body in front of her.

"We'll hide it. There's a janitor closet a few doors back. Come on, Mel, I had to. He saw your eyes."

Mel nodded and bent to pick up the healer. " Open the door, I'll drag him over."

I ran over and quickly pulled the door open, and Mel picked up the unconscious man and rested him on the floor of the closet. Hurriedly I closed the door and looked around to make sure no one saw our encounter with the healer.

Sunny looked as though she was shocked into speechlessness while Mel had a worried look on her face. I went over to her and grasped her shaking hands.

"We gotta get back to others quick, someone will notice this guys missing" I jerked my thumb towards the closet.

"I know , I know , It just happened so fast , are you alright ? Are you knuckles ok?" She rambled, feeling my hands as she spoke.

"I'm fine. We had to, he would've eventually figured it out anyways" I assured. She nodded her head again as she began to push Sunny.

We made our way to the exit doors when Sunny broke out of her shocked trance.

"You punched his face?" She muttered with a grin, which in turn made Mel and I smile. When we reached the van we met an agitated Kyle who had a hard look in his eyes.

"What the hell took you so long? An hour my ass" he spat as he grabbed Sunny to him, lifting her out of the cot.

"Jared punched a healer" Sunny repeated. Melanie rolled her eyes while I helped Kyle.

"We had a bit of a situation, we have to get out fast" Melanie told him.

" I think we're about to have another soon, I think a Healer knows that we're here he's been out here looking at the van at least four times since Wanda and Ian left" Kyle explained worriedly.

"What do you mean since they left?" Melanie asked angrily.

"They went in after you guys, I got a bit antsy, I admit, so they went to check out the situation." Kyle exclaimed as he placed Sunny in the van, kissing her forehead.

"Well how long will they be gone? If the healers are poking around we can't stay!" Mel shouted, her voice expressing her annoyance at the ruined plan.

"It's ok", I said, rubbing her arm, "Did they say they would be back soon?" I asked Kyle.

"Yeah, they shouldn't be too long. They've already been gone for 15 minutes." Kyle said, sounding detached from the conversation, his eyes never leaving Sunny, who was stroking his face.

Mel seemed to accept the information as she sat in the van, taking a deep breath and looking at the time. I clambered into the van door and turned to slam the door when the back door of the hospital opened and a healer came bursting out, pointing and shouting at our van.

"Guys, we gotta go! Mel, take the wheel! They're onto us!' I shouted, slamming the door and lurching to the passenger seat. Mel revved the engine and sped out of the parking lot. In the rear view mirror I saw seekers filing out of the back door, snapping a picture of our van.


	15. Chapter 15

WPOV

My throat swelled and I could feel my heartbeat at the tip of fingers as I looked up to Ian's devastated face. His eyebrows furrowed more and more as each second of silence went by. I felt as though I was choking on words, there were so many things I wanted to say to console him and assure him that my death was not near but there were so many things that I couldn't explain that I just drew a blank. He shook my shoulders and pulled me to him.

"Wanda.." he murmured in my ear.

"No , Ian , they don't know what's going on. Didn't you hear them? They said it could be anything , for all they know it could be some sort of minor virus or bacteria epidemic." I rushed trying to soothe him.

"What about the souls you've seen that died, what about Sunny ? The fevers and sight loss? That doesn't sound like a minor anything and you said that the souls know everything about the anatomy of the hosts they're going into. The healers not knowing what this is … I don't think that's a good thing. Wanda.. I can't.."

I cut Ian off with a kiss. I felt his tense lips under mine, full of resistance.

"Wanda, if anyt-" Ian started as he pulled away, but I shushed him with my lips once again. He began to comply to my offer, relaxing his lips and pulling me closer. I wanted him to know we would be ok. I wanted him to know that I would never stop fighting for my life for as long as he was with me. Words wouldn't suffice. I had to show him. The deeper our kisses became, I knew he understood for I felt wetness from his tears on my cheek. I pulled away, wiping the tears gently with my thumb.

"Ian, baby , its ok. We're going to figure this out. Please don't cry" I murmured to him, saddened by his tears. He nodded against my forehead. I looked into his eyes which were glistening blue, covered with a shine of tears.

"I know, Wanda, I know. And you know I'll be there with you and I'll never stop trying until you're safe." Ian whispered, cupping my face in his warm hands.

"But for now," Ian sighed "We have work to do." He kissed my forehead and looked around. There were several filing cabinets around us and there was a table covered in loose papers and stationary. The room appeared to be some sort of conference area. Not wanting to risk getting caught, we kept the lights off, only letting the light through the closed blinds be our guide. Ian began sorting through the papers on the table while I began opening the cabinets, opening files.

Data. Iventory. Shipments. The tabs on the folders read out basic needs for any facility. The second cabinet was full of patient records, categorized by illness or reasoning for visit. Fever. Headache. Wounds. All common visitations.

"Any luck?" I asked Ian, glancing over as he was studying a sheet of paper.

"Not yet, you?" he replied.

"Nothing" I sighed.

I ignored the files and opened the cabinets and cupboards which were filled with medicines. I grabbed those I knew we were low on such as cool and heal. There was an eye drop bottle labeled illuminate, this was new I thought, and I had a vague clue as to what it does when I heard Ian grunt. I looked over at him and saw that he had his hand was engulfed in a file cabinet.

"What's wrong?" I inquired.

"There's something back here it's jamming the cabinet and I can't take it all the way out." He explained, still struggling.

"I have smaller hands, let me" I walked over to him and pulled his arm out while I placed mine in and sure enough a thick folder was stuck in the rails.

My small hands managed to pull out an old looking file with the label Orixe.

"I know this" I muttered to myself. I looked up at Ian; he just looked back at me with curiosity.

"This is a name, this is a soul I knew back in the origin, and he taught others about the other planets" I explained.

"Like you, at the caves" Ian pointed out.

"Not exactly like me, he knew about planets he's never even been on, he told me about the seaweeds yet he's never been there" I clarified.

"So this could be important?" he asked. I nodded slowly and opened the folder.

Papers and pictures slipped out, spilling onto the floor. Ian bent over to pick them up, but he froze when he picked up the first one.

"Wanda" he said, the sound of disbelief and fear trembling through his voice "Take a look at this." He handed me the sheet and immediately saw the words Incredulous Theory by Orixe written in bold. The word confidential was stamped red across the page. As I read further, the article explained that the soul Orixe, a soul who took part in establishing the origin, discovered continuous flaws in the soul attachment to new hosts, and the inevitability of their rejection and eventual detachment from them. He examined every planet and their inhabitants and possible flaws in the soul attachment over time. He was the originator of medications to make the transition easier, or to subdue the side effects. It further explained the stages that a soul will encounter once the body begins to reject. The dimming of the eyes, a fever or delirious state, blindness, and finally the taking over of the original host. My eyes began to fill with tears and I collapsed to the floor, holding in sobs and clutching the paper. I scratched the floor, grabbing papers and pictures, reading and examining the images. The papers were filled with cases from every planet, every host attachment, every soul rejection possible, with an image to go along with it. My breathing began ragged and my cheeks were slick with tears. Ian was kneeling on the floor beside me, his palms on his forehead, fingers digging through his hair. His body was shaking and heaving from his sobs.

"Ian…." I started my hands shaking , reaching for him.

"LOCKDOWN, CODE RED , LOCKDOWN, CODE RED,…." A loud voice over speakers suddenly exclaimed. I flinched at the high volume and the alarm lights that came on filling the room with a red glare.

My panicked eyes met Ians'.

"The others" he stated as he grabbed my hand. He had the folder in his other and I grabbed the medicine that I stashed.

As we got closer to the door , what sounded like a flurry of people ran out in the hallways. Their voices carrying out with the sound of their feet.

" Humans , Rogue, spotted outside near a van , we're losing them quick go !" a loud voice exclaimed.

When the sounds subsided Ian cautiously opened the door and looked out the hallway, I quickly pulled him back.

"What?" he exclaimed. I jumped at the tone of his voice.

"Sorry, what's wrong?" he muttered, his eyes full of apology.

"The eye drops I found, I think they can hide you." I explained. I pulled his head down and gently dropped the solution into his eyes. When I clearly looked back into them his deep blue eyes were slowly being clouded by the silver that the souls had.

"You look like me" I stated. He said nothing and continued to simply look into my eyes.

"They must have wanted to hide what's happening, Sunnys' eyes, do you remember? They don't want the other souls to panic" I rambled, mostly to myself.

His now silver eyes flinched, his face morphed into a sadness that I couldn't explain. It was only for a moment, and then a stoic expression was worn on his face.

"Let's go" He said as he grabbed my hand.


End file.
